Relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity and heart rate variability in young Japanese men

This study examined the relationship between arterial stiffness and autonomic nervous function in a young population. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 382 Japanese males, aged 24 to 39 years, who worked at the same information service company. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was measured using an automatic waveform analyzer, and the spectral power of heart rate variability in the low frequency (LF: 0.04-0.15 Hz) and the high frequency (HF: 0.15-0.40 Hz) band was evaluated by the maximum entropy method. LF/HF and HF were used as the indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activity, respectively. Psycho-hormonal responses were examined by the Profile of Mood State (tension-anxiety and anger-hostility scales) and Hamilton's Depression Scale with serum cortisol and catecholamine levels. In a univariate analysis, baPWV was positively associated with the following variables (all p <0.05): LF/HF, age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, heart rate, serum total cholesterol and triglycerides, blood glucose, and plasma cortisol and noradrenaline. Multiple regression analysis indicated that LF/HF was an independent predictor of baPWV (p <0.05), after controlling for significant effects of age, systolic blood pressure, and plasma noradrenaline levels. There was no significant effect of HF on baPWV in this multivariate analysis. Neither mood state nor health-related lifestyle factors such as smoking were significant. It was suggested that baPWV is closely associated with sympathetic nervous activity in young men.