Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
Insulin-resistance HCV infection-related affects vascular stiffness in normotensives
Maria Perticone1, Raffaele Maio2, Eliezer Joseph Tassone2
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University Magna Græcia of Catanzaro, Italy.
Insights
Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is linked to increased arterial stiffness, similar to hypertension. Insulin resistance, measured by HOMA, is a key factor influencing this vascular damage in HCV patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hepatology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Arterial stiffness, assessed by pulse wave velocity, is an early indicator of vascular damage and a predictor of cardiovascular events.
- Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.
- The relationship between HCV-related insulin resistance and arterial stiffness requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection influence arterial stiffness.
- To compare arterial stiffness and related metabolic factors in patients with chronic HCV, hypertension, and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 260 outpatients: 52 with untreated chronic HCV, 104 with untreated hypertension (HT), and 104 healthy controls (NT).
- Pulse wave velocity was measured using high-fidelity applanation tonometry.
- Fasting glucose, insulin, lipids, creatinine, e-GFR-EPI, HOMA index, and quantitative HCV-RNA were analyzed.
Main Results:
- HCV(+) patients exhibited increased pulse wave velocity compared to NT subjects, comparable to the HT group.
- HCV(+) patients showed higher triglyceride, creatinine, fasting insulin, and HOMA levels than NT subjects.
- HOMA was identified as a major determinant of pulse wave velocity in all groups, with a significant correlation observed between HCV-RNA and HOMA.
Conclusions:
- A significant direct correlation exists between HOMA (insulin resistance) and pulse wave velocity in chronic HCV patients, mirroring findings in hypertensive individuals.
- Insulin resistance is a key factor contributing to arterial stiffness in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
- These findings highlight the cardiovascular risks associated with chronic HCV and the role of metabolic dysfunction.
Abstract:
BACKGROUND AND AIMS. Arterial stiffness evaluated as pulse wave velocity, is an early marker of vascular damage and an independent predictor for cardiovascular events. We investigated if the insulin resistance/hyperinsulinemia chronic hepatitis C virus infection-related could influence arterial stiffness. METHODS. We enrolled 260 outpatients matched for age, body mass index, gender, ethnicity: 52 with never-treated uncomplicated chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV(+)), 104 never-treated hypertensives (HT) and 104 healthy subjects (NT). Pulse wave velocity was evaluated by a validated system employing high-fidelity applanation tonometry. We also measured: fasting plasma glucose and insulin, total, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, creatinine, e-GFR-EPI, HOMA, quantitative HCV-RNA. RESULTS. HCV(+) patients with respect to NT had an increased pulse wave velocity (7.9 ± 2.1 vs 6.4 ± 2.1 m/s; P < 0.0001), similar to that observed in HT group (8.8 ± 3.2 m/s). HCV(+) patients, in comparison with NT, had higher triglyceride, creatinine, fasting insulin and HOMA (3.2 ± 1.3 vs 2.5 ± 1.0; P < 0.0001). At linear regression analysis, the correlation between pulse wave velocity and HOMA was similar in HT (r = 0.380, P < 0.0001) and HCV(+) (r = 0.369, P = 0.004) groups. At multiple regression analysis, HOMA resulted the major determinant of pulse wave velocity in all groups, explaining respectively 11.8%, 14.4% and 13.6% of its variation in NT, HT and HCV(+). At correlational analysis hepatitis C virus-RNA and HOMA demonstrated a strong and linear relationship between them, explaining the 72.4% of their variation (P = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS. We demonstrated a significant and direct correlation between HOMA and pulse wave velocity in HCV(+) patients, similar to that observed in hypertensives.
More Related Videos
10:35Measuring the Stiffness of Ex Vivo Mouse Aortas Using Atomic Force Microscopy
Published on: October 19, 2016
08:22Combined Intravital Microscopy and Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography of the Mouse Hindlimb to Study Insulin-induced Vasodilation and Muscle Perfusion
Published on: March 20, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:26Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
01:24Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
01:29Hypertension II: Pathophysiology
01:28Diabetic Nephropathy
01:20Vascular Resistance
The primary determinants of vascular resistance are vessel diameter, blood viscosity, and vessel length. Among these, vessel diameter plays the most significant role due to the fourth power relationship described by...
01:18Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure