Estimating normal and reference pulse wave velocity in New Zealand population

This study aimed to establish normal and reference pulse wave velocity (PWV) values and assess their relationship with the established cardiovascular risk factors in NZ. An observational cross-sectional study of 120 adults above 18 years was conducted at Auckland University of Technology within three age groups (18-30, 31-60, and >60 years) and four blood pressure (BP) categories (normal, elevated, stage 1 and stage 2) before being clustered as Normal Value Population (NVP) and Reference Value Population (RVP) based on BP and presence of other CVD risk. PWV was measured using Doppler ultrasound via the direct carotid-femoral method (distance × 0.8). Mean PWV for the whole study population was 5.88 ± 1.49 m/s and increased with age (p < 0.001) and with a more profound rise in the RVP group (p < 0.001, z = -4.98). Overall PWV values were lower than international reference standards, which may reflect population-specific physiological or methodological factors. A significant difference in mean PWV in the European and non-European populations (p = 0.004) indicated that ethnicity was an important part of the assessment. Age and mean blood pressure were the strongest predictors of PWV, accounting for 54.5% of the variability.