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Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as an early indicator of left ventricular diastolic function among hypertensive

Chao-Ping Wang1, Wei-Chin Hung, Teng-Hung Yu

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Clinical and Experimental Hypertension (New York, N.Y. : 1993)
|January 28, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (b-a PWV) may indicate early left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in hypertensive individuals. This arterial stiffness measure, unlike others, showed a significant negative correlation with LV diastolic function.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Physiology
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness is a known cardiovascular disease risk factor.
  • Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a common index for arterial stiffness.
  • The link between PWV and left ventricular (LV) function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if PWV measurement can serve as an early indicator of LV dysfunction.
  • To evaluate the association between various PWV measurements and LV diastolic function.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 42 hypertensive and 42 non-hypertensive subjects.
  • Noninvasive assessment of blood pressure, ECG, heart sounds, and PWV using a volume-plethysmographic apparatus.
  • Evaluation of arterial and aortic stiffness via brachial-ankle (b-a) PWV, heart-carotid (h-c) PWV, heart-femoral (h-f) PWV, carotid-femoral (c-f) PWV, and femoral-ankle (f-a) PWV.
  • LV function estimation using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography.

Main Results:

  • Hypertensive subjects had higher b-a PWV and late diastolic mitral flow velocity compared to controls.
  • LV diastolic function (Em(av)) negatively correlated with c-f PWV and b-a PWV.
  • Multiple regression analysis revealed b-a PWV was independently and negatively associated with LV diastolic function (Em(av)) specifically in hypertensive subjects.

Conclusions:

  • Brachial-ankle PWV (b-a PWV), reflecting both central and peripheral arterial stiffness, is significantly correlated with LV diastolic function in hypertensive individuals.
  • Unlike other PWV measures, b-a PWV may serve as an early indicator of LV dysfunction in hypertension.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm b-a PWV's role in predicting cardiovascular outcomes.

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