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Updated: Mar 17, 2026

Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness

Published on: May 3, 2018

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Carotid and Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia

Alexandra I Ershova1, Alexey N Meshkov1, Tatyana A Rozhkova2

  • 1Department of clinical cardiology and molecular genetics, National Research Center for Preventive Medicine, Moscow, Russia.

Plos One
|July 20, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) exhibit stiffer carotid arteries but not aortic stiffness compared to relatives. Arterial elasticity reduces earlier in the carotid arteries than the aorta in FH patients.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Arterial Physiology
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders

Background:

  • The impact of high plasma cholesterol on arterial health is not fully understood.
  • Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) presents an opportunity to study cholesterol's effects on arterial function.
  • Arterial stiffness is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate arterial stiffness in treatment-naive patients with heterozygous FH.
  • To compare local carotid artery stiffness and aortic stiffness between FH patients and their relatives.
  • To investigate the age-related changes in arterial elasticity in FH.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized high-resolution echo-tracking for local common carotid artery stiffness assessment.
  • Measured aortic stiffness using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
  • Included 66 FH patients and 57 non-FH relatives, assessing carotid stiffness parameters (β-index, Peterson elastic modulus, local PWV).

Main Results:

  • FH patients demonstrated significantly higher carotid artery stiffness (β-index, Ep, local PWV).
  • No significant difference in aortic stiffness (carotid-femoral PWV) was observed between FH patients and controls.
  • Carotid arteries and aorta stiffened with age in FH patients, with more pronounced carotid stiffening after age 30.

Conclusions:

  • Treatment-naive FH patients exhibit increased carotid artery stiffness compared to relatives.
  • Aortic stiffness does not differ between FH patients and their relatives.
  • The decline in arterial elasticity occurs earlier in the carotid arteries than in the aorta in individuals with FH.
Abstract

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