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Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
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Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

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Pulse wave velocity and carotid atherosclerosis in white and Latino patients with hypertension

Mori J Krantz1, Carlin S Long, Patrick Hosokawa

  • 1Cardiology Division, Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, USA. mkrantz@dhha.org

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
|April 13, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a valuable marker for atherosclerotic risk in hypertension patients, independent of traditional factors and ethnicity. This finding aids in preventing broader cardiovascular diseases in diverse populations.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
  • Vascular Biology
  • Hypertension Research

Background:

  • Preventive cardiology now addresses a wider range of cardiovascular diseases beyond coronary heart disease.
  • Ethnic minorities face a disproportionately higher risk of extracoronary vascular diseases, including heart failure and cerebrovascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between traditional cardiovascular risk factors, novel inflammatory and arterial stiffness markers, and extracoronary atherosclerosis.
  • To determine if pulse wave velocity (PWV) can serve as an independent risk marker for atherosclerosis in a diverse hypertension cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study of Latino and White hypertension patients within a safety-net healthcare system.
  • Measured Framingham risk factors, inflammation markers (hsCRP, LpPLA2), arterial stiffness (PWV, AIx, cAP), and endothelial function (FMD).
  • Assessed carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) as an index of extracoronary atherosclerosis and performed univariate and multivariable analyses.

Main Results:

  • Among 177 participants, PWV was significantly associated with cIMT (p=0.016) after adjusting for Framingham risk factors.
  • Augmentation index (AIx), central aortic pressure (cAP), and LpPLA2 activity were not significantly associated with cIMT in multivariable analysis.
  • No significant interactions were observed between ethnicity and the studied risk parameters.

Conclusions:

  • Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a potentially useful adjunctive atherosclerotic risk marker.
  • PWV demonstrates independence from traditional risk factors and is relevant across ethnicities in this cohort.
  • Findings support PWV's role in enhancing risk stratification for extracoronary vascular disease.
Abstract

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