78 CHARACTERISTICS OF PULSE WAVE VELOCITIES IN ELASTIC AND MUSCULAR ARTERIES

Abstract

Background: Although aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) has been accepted as the gold standard of arterial stiffness, and applied as a cardiovascular risk factor in various populations, the characteristics of PWVs in other arteries has never been reported. Methods: We measured carotid-femoral, carotid-pedis, carotid-radial, and femoral-pedis PWVs by a validated tonometry PulsePen (DiaTecne s.r.l., Milan, Italy), and assessed body fat percentage and carotid intema-media thickness (IMT) by bioelectrical impedance analyzer and ultrasonograph in 198 consecutive patients from our ambulatory cardiovascular department. Results: Carotid-femoral and carotid-pedis PWVs increased significantly and progressively with age in both men and women (P≤0.03), while only in men, a slight increase and decrease in carotid-radial and femoral-pedis PWVs were observed with age (P≤0.006). Carotid-femoral and carotid-pedis PWVs, but not carotid-radial and femoral-pedis PWVs, were significantly associated with age, body height and body fat percentage, brachial mean blood pressure (MBP) and pulse pressure (PP), carotid PP, PP amplification, and IMT (r: -0.24 to 0.51, P≤0.047). In full adjustment models, carotid-femoral PWV increased by 0.93 ± 0.21, 0.82 ± 0.27, 0.40 ± 0.16, 0.55 ± 0.23 m/s, with an increase of 10 years in age, of 10 mmHg in brachial PP, of 100 μm in IMT, and of 10 mmHg in brachial MBP, respectively, whereas carotid-pedis PWV increased by 0.34 ± 0.12 and 0.30 ± 0.11 m/s with an increase of 10 mmHg in brachial MBP and 10 years in age, respectively. Conclusion: Arterial stiffness in elastic arteries, but not in muscular arteries, increased significantly and progressively with age, and was more closely associated with BP and arterial wall thickness.Carotid-femoral (filled circles with solid line), carotid-pedis (filled circles with spotted line), carotid-radial (unfilled circles with solid line), and pedis-femoral (unfilled circles with spotted line) pulse wave velocities were presented in different age groups, in men and women, respectively.