Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Assessment of Vascular Tone Responsiveness using Isolated Mesenteric Arteries with a Focus on Modulation by Perivascular Adipose Tissues
08:41

Assessment of Vascular Tone Responsiveness using Isolated Mesenteric Arteries with a Focus on Modulation by Perivascular Adipose Tissues

Published on: June 3, 2019

Circulating vascular growth factors and central hemodynamic load in the community

Justin P Zachariah1, Vanessa Xanthakis, Martin G Larson

  • 1Framingham Heart Study, 73 Mount Wayte Ave, Framingham, MA 01702-5803, USA.

Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. : 1979)
|February 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Cardiovascular health is linked to vascular growth factors. This study found insulin-like growth factor 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor influence hemodynamic load components, impacting cardiovascular disease risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Hemodynamic load, both mean and pulsatile, is associated with cardiovascular disease.
  • Vascular growth factors are crucial for vascular remodeling, but their relationship with hemodynamic load is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between circulating vascular growth factors and central arterial load components.
  • To explore the links between specific growth factors (angiopoietin 2, VEGF, HGF, IGF-1) and hemodynamic measures.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional analysis of 3496 participants from the Framingham Heart Study third generation cohort.
  • Measured central arterial load using carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, forward pressure wave, mean arterial pressure, and reflection coefficient.
  • Assessed circulating concentrations of multiple vascular growth factors and their receptors using multivariable linear regression, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors.

Main Results:

  • Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations were negatively associated with pulse wave velocity, mean arterial pressure, and reflection coefficient.
  • Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were positively associated with pulse wave velocity and mean arterial pressure.
  • Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) and soluble angiopoietin 2 receptor (sAng2R) showed positive associations with mean arterial pressure and forward pressure wave, respectively.

Conclusions:

  • Circulating vascular growth factor levels are related to central hemodynamic load in a large community-based sample.
  • Findings align with the known physiological roles of IGF-1 and VEGF in vascular regulation.
  • These associations may provide insights into the mechanisms linking growth factors to cardiovascular disease risk.

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