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Association of pulse wave velocity with body fat measures at 30 y of age

Carolina Avila Vianna1, Bernardo L Horta1, Maria Cristina Gonzalez2

  • 1Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.

Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.)
|January 27, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Body fat measures like BMI and visceral fat are strongly linked to pulse wave velocity (PWV), an early indicator of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease risk, at age 30.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a key early indicator of arterial stiffness and a predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
  • Various body fat measures, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and visceral fat, are associated with CVD risk in adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between PWV at age 30 and different body fat measures.
  • To identify which body composition metrics are most strongly related to arterial stiffness in young adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study of individuals born in Pelotas, Brazil, in 1982.
  • At age 30, participants underwent measurements of PWV, anthropometrics, abdominal fat, and visceral fat.
  • Statistical analysis included linear regression, controlling for potential confounders.

Main Results:

  • PWV showed a strong correlation with BMI, WC, visceral fat thickness, and fat mass.
  • Linear regression revealed BMI, visceral fat thickness, and fat mass as having the highest regression coefficients (r=0.30).
  • These associations remained significant after adjusting for sex, race, birth weight, socioeconomic factors, and maternal smoking.

Conclusions:

  • BMI, visceral fat thickness, and fat mass are the most significant body fat indicators associated with PWV at age 30.
  • These findings highlight the importance of body composition in early arterial health and cardiovascular risk assessment.
Abstract

Keywords:
Abdominal fatBody fat measuresObesityPulse wave velocityVisceral fat

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