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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Published on: February 7, 2014
[A review of epidemiological studies about pulse wave velocity for prevention of cardiovascular disease]
Megumi Utsugi1, Yasuaki Saijo, Reiko Kishi
1Department of Public Health, Division of Preventive Medicine, Hokkaido University, School of Medicine, Hokkaido.
Insights
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) shows promise for early cardiovascular disease diagnosis and prognosis. Further research into brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) is needed to clarify its diagnostic and prognostic value.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Biomedical Engineering
Context:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) poses significant health risks, often becoming severe before symptoms appear.
- Early detection of endothelial/vascular dysfunction is crucial for effective prevention and treatment of CVD.
- Noninvasive methods for assessing arterial health are needed for timely medical intervention.
Purpose:
- To review Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) as a marker for vascular damage.
- To evaluate PWV's role as a prognostic predictor for cardiovascular events.
- To examine the specific utility of Brachial-Ankle PWV (baPWV) in clinical practice.
Summary:
- Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a noninvasive measure of arterial stiffness, showing potential for detecting vascular damage.
- While PWV correlates with factors like blood pressure, BMI, glucose, and cholesterol, its relationship with smoking is unclear.
- Existing research suggests PWV can predict disease prognosis, but the prognostic value of baPWV requires further investigation.
Impact:
- Improved early diagnosis of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
- Enhanced risk stratification and prognostic prediction for patients with vascular conditions.
- Potential for developing more effective primary and secondary prevention strategies for CVD.
Abstract:
Early arteriosclerosis can be prevented by medication and life style changes. However, late cardiac disease, called cardiovascular disease, could be fatal or have severe sequelae. Therefore, it is important to develop a method for early diagnosis. Since no symptoms become evident until endothelial/vascular dysfunction, a simple and sensitive diagnostic method using a biological parameter needs to be developed for prevention and medical treatment. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a noninvasive and simple measure for evaluating arterial wall stiffness and several studies have indicated this is a good marker for vascular damage, although not all results were consistent. This review concerns the following three aspects: 1. PWV as a marker of vascular damage 2. PWV as a prognostic predictor 3. Brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) Blood pressure is strongly related with PWV, along with BMI, fasting blood glucose, and cholesterol. However, no relation was rated cigarette smoking. While many reports have shown that rise of PWV can serve as a prognostic predictor of disease, the situation with baPWV remains unclear. It is to be expected that improvements in methods for PWV will greatly contribute to primary and secondary prevention in the future.
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