Central Pulse Wave Velocity and Augmentation Index Are Repeatable and Reproducible Measures of Arterial Function

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

• Arterial stiffness, indicated by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AI), is a key cardiovascular risk factor.
• Accurate and reliable measurement of arterial function is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of PWV and AI measurements in healthy adults.
• To determine the reliability of these noninvasive markers for arterial stiffness.

Main Methods:

• Forty healthy participants underwent triplicate PWV and AI measurements.
• Assessments were repeated within the same day and one week apart.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to evaluate repeatability and reproducibility.

Main Results:

• Both PWV and AI demonstrated excellent same-day repeatability (ICC > 0.90).
• Interoperator reproducibility for PWV and AI was also high (ICC > 0.93).
• Week-to-week reproducibility was good for both measures (ICC > 0.73).

Conclusions:

• PWV and AI exhibit excellent repeatability and good reproducibility in healthy individuals.
• These noninvasive arterial function parameters are reliable for clinical use.
• Arterial stiffness assessment using PWV and AI can support cardiovascular disease risk stratification.