Association of BMI Grading with Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity and Augmentation Index in a Population of West India

BMI is graded differently in Asians, and its association with pulse wave analysis (PWA) based arterial stiffness (AS) parameters are unknown in the Indian population. We studied these AS parameters in relation to BMI grading as per ESI (Endocrine Society of India) for association, if any.

This is a secondary pooled analysis of previously published data of normal (n=1186), diabetics (n=328), hypertensives(n=309), and diabetic hypertensives(n=401). Oscillometric PWA (Mobil-o-graph, IEM, Germany) was used to derive aortic BP (aBP), aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), augmentation index (AIx), and reflection %. All participants in each group were divided into BMI-based subgroups as per the ESI criteria for Indians. PWA parameters were compared among BMI-based subgroups in each of the four study groups.

Aortic pressures, AIx, aPWV, and Ref% were significantly associated with BMI grading only in the normal subgroup and not in the other three groups with at least one of either diabetes or hypertension. In the multivariate linear regression model, BMI-based grading was not associated with aPWV or AIx after adjusting for gender, age, mean blood pressure, heart rate, and presence of diabetes and/or hypertension.

It suggests arterial stiffness to be a poorly BMI-dependent parameter and calls for more studies for its consolidation.