Brachial artery hyperaemic blood flow velocity and left ventricular geometry

Cardiovascular risk factors and carotid atherosclerosis relate to blood flow velocity in the brachial artery during induced hyperaemia. This relation proved to be particularly strong when using the hyperaemic systolic to diastolic blood flow velocity (SDFV) ratio. In this study, we further investigated this ratio in relation to the left ventricular (LV) geometry in a cross-sectional analysis. In the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors study, 1016 seventy-year-olds participated. Blood flow velocity during hyperaemia of the brachial artery by Doppler was analysed. Echocardiography was performed, allowing analysis of LV geometry, categorised into four different groups: normal, concentric remodelling, concentric and eccentric hypertrophy. The SDFV ratio increased in subjects with concentric LV-remodelling (P=0.006) or LV-hypertrophy (P=0.001), but not in those with eccentric hypertrophy (P=0.12) when compared with the group with normal LV geometry. These associations remained significant after adjustment for gender, blood pressure, blood glucose, body mass index and antihypertensive treatment. The SDFV ratio in the brachial artery was related to concentric geometry of the LV in an elderly population sample, suggesting this new hemodynamic variable as a marker of increased afterload. Future studies have to determine if the SDFV ratio is a powerful predictor of future CV events, in addition to LV geometry.