[Evolution of arterial stiffness and association with cardiovascular risk factors in the Spanish population....

To analyse the increase of arterial stiffness over a five-year period and its relationship with cardiovascular risk factors and sex-based differences in a Spanish population without cardiovascular disease.

Longitudinal study. Analysis of the increase in arterial stiffness measures evaluated with SphygmoCor and Vasera of 480 subjects followed for 5 years of the 501 subjects included in the baseline evaluation, selected through random sampling stratified by age and sex, mean age of 55.9 years, 50.3% women.

Increases per year: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), 0.22 (SD 0.36) m/sec, brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV), 0.18 (SD 0.30) m/sec, Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index (CAVI), 0.04 (SD 0.18) and Central Augmentation Index (CAI), 0.38 (SD 2.66). Multiple regression, increases in cf-PWV and ba-PWV showed an association with mean arterial pressure in global (β=0.02; β=-0.02) and in men (β=0.02; β=-0.03). In women, increases in ba-PWV and CAVI showed a negative association with BMI (β=-0.06; β=--0.03).

The four measures of arterial stiffness increase over five years globally and by sex. These increases differ according to the measure used, age, sex and associated cardiovascular risk factors. Hypertensive people has greater increases in ba-PWV in global and by sex. The average blood pressure is associated with increases in cf-PWV and ba-PWV in global and in men. BMI is negatively associated with increases in ba-PWV and CAVI in women. Study registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT02623894).