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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (Cf-PWV) to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
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High central pulse pressure is independently associated with adverse cardiovascular outcome the strong heart study

Mary J Roman1, Richard B Devereux, Jorge R Kizer

  • 1Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York 10021, USA. mroman@med.cornell.edu

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|October 24, 2009
PubMed

Insights

A central pulse pressure (PP) of 50 mm Hg or higher indicates a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events. This finding can guide interventions for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Clinical Cardiology
  • Preventive Cardiology

Background:

  • Central pulse pressure (PP) is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than brachial PP.
  • Central PP correlates with carotid hypertrophy and atherosclerosis extent.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a predictive value for central PP in adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
  • To identify a potential target for intervention strategies in CVD prevention.

Main Methods:

  • Radial applanation tonometry used to measure central blood pressure.
  • Cox regression analyses applied to assess central and brachial PP quartiles.
  • Study included 2,405 participants without prevalent CVD.

Main Results:

  • Central PP quartiles significantly predicted CVD events (p < 0.001), outperforming brachial PP (p = 0.052).
  • A central PP of >= 50 mm Hg was associated with a 69% higher risk of CVD events (HR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.20 to 2.39).
  • This association was consistent across subgroups including men, women, diabetic, non-diabetic, and different age groups.

Conclusions:

  • Central PP >= 50 mm Hg is a significant predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
  • This threshold may serve as a valuable target for CVD intervention strategies.
  • Further validation in diverse populations and prospective studies is recommended.
Abstract

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