Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2025

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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Arterial Stiffness Is Associated With Small Vessel Disease Irrespective of Blood Pressure in Stroke-Free Individuals

Tomo Miyagi1, Akio Ishida1, Tomoko Shinzato2

  • 1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Nephrology and Neurology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan (T.M., A.I., Y.O.).

Stroke
|October 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

High arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), increases the risk of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) even in individuals with normal blood pressure. This highlights arterial stiffness as a key factor in CSVD development.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Arterial stiffness and hypertension are established risk factors for cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).
  • Clinical observations show hypertensive individuals with low pulse wave velocity (PWV) and normotensive individuals with high PWV, suggesting complex interactions.
  • The specific impact of arterial stiffness on CSVD in normotensive individuals requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of arterial stiffness on the prevalence of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) in individuals with normal blood pressure.
  • To determine whether high arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for CSVD in a normotensive population.

Main Methods:

  • An observational, cross-sectional study involving 1894 stroke-free participants.
  • Brain magnetic resonance imaging and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) measurements were performed.
  • CSVD was defined by the presence of white matter hyperintensities, cerebral microbleeds, silent lacunar infarcts, or enlarged perivascular spaces.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of CSVD was 38% overall.
  • Participants with high baPWV (≥14.63 m/s) showed a significantly higher prevalence of CSVD, regardless of blood pressure status.
  • The low blood pressure with high baPWV group (OR, 1.63) and high blood pressure with high baPWV group (OR, 1.86) had significantly higher adjusted risks for CSVD compared to the low blood pressure with low baPWV group.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated arterial stiffness, indicated by high brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), is associated with a higher prevalence of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD).
  • This association persists independently of blood pressure levels in stroke-free individuals.
  • Arterial stiffness appears to be a more critical determinant of CSVD risk than blood pressure status in this population.
Abstract

Keywords:
cerebral small vessel diseasehypertensionmagnetic resonance imagingvascular stiffness

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