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Updated: May 26, 2026
06:08
Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Published on: February 7, 2014
Non-triggered quantification of central and peripheral pulse-wave velocity
Michael C Langham1, Cheng Li, Felix W Wehrli
1Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Summary
Arterial stiffening, measured by pulse-wave velocity (PWV), increases with age in the aorta but decreases in iliofemoral arteries. This novel magnetic resonance imaging method maps PWV across the arterial tree, aiding vascular aging research.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Physics
Background:
- Arterial stiffening, indicated by increased pulse-wave velocity (PWV), is linked to aging and atherosclerosis.
- Elevated aortic PWV is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events.
- Previous methods for PWV assessment have limitations in capturing regional variations and beat-to-beat dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To extend a non-triggered, projection-based cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) method for mapping PWV.
- To demonstrate the feasibility of this technique in assessing PWV across the aortic arch, thoraco-abdominal aorta, and iliofemoral arteries.
- To investigate the relationship between regional PWV and age in healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- A novel projection-based CMR method was developed to simultaneously excite and collect velocity-encoded projections at two arterial segments.
- This technique estimates wave-front velocity, probing the dynamic vessel wall modulus in response to pressure waves.
- Regional PWVs were quantified in 10 healthy subjects (age 23-68) using 3T MRI, without cardiac gating.
Main Results:
- The method successfully resolved regional PWVs over 8-10 cardiac cycles, enabling monitoring of beat-to-beat changes.
- Dual-slice excitation minimized aliasing, ensuring accurate PWV quantification.
- Aortic arch and thoraco-abdominal aorta PWV positively correlated with age, while iliofemoral artery PWV showed a decreasing trend with age.
Conclusions:
- The developed projection-based CMR method is feasible for mapping PWV across the arterial tree.
- PWV measurements showed distinct age-related patterns in different arterial segments.
- A comprehensive PWV map may offer valuable insights into the pathophysiology of vascular aging and atherosclerosis.
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