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Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
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Association of arterial stiffness with aortic calcification and tortuosity

Inki Moon1, Kwang Nam Jin2, Hack-Lyoung Kim1

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine.

Medicine
|August 16, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Arterial stiffness, measured by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), did not show a significant association with aortic calcification or tortuosity in this study. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors, not arterial stiffness, were found to be more influential on aortic geometry.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Radiology
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness is a key indicator of cardiovascular health.
  • The relationship between arterial stiffness and aortic morphology, specifically calcification and tortuosity, requires further investigation.
  • Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a non-invasive measure of arterial stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and aortic calcification and tortuosity.
  • To determine if arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of aortic geometric changes.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 181 patients who underwent computed tomographic angiography and baPWV measurement.
  • Aortic calcification quantified using calcium scoring software.
  • Aortic tortuosity calculated as the ratio of aortic midline length to linear length.

Main Results:

  • Initial correlation analyses showed associations between baPWV, aortic calcification, and tortuosity.
  • These associations lost statistical significance after adjusting for confounders in multivariate analyses.
  • Age, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and estimated glomerular filtration rate were independently associated with aortic calcification.
  • Age, body mass index, and diabetes mellitus were independently associated with aortic tortuosity.

Conclusions:

  • Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), reflecting arterial stiffness, is not independently associated with aortic calcification or tortuosity.
  • Traditional cardiovascular risk factors play a more significant role in determining aortic geometry than arterial stiffness.
  • Larger studies are warranted to validate these findings regarding arterial stiffness and aortic morphology.

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