Abstract 13220: Independent Effects of Baseline Pulse Wave Velocity versus Advancing Age on Changes in Arterial Stiffness Over Time

Abstract

Introduction: While arterial stiffness (AS) is a known marker of vascular ageing that prognosticates cardiovascular disease (CVD), prospective analyses of AS evolution alongside chronological age are necessary to understand factors that drive progressive AS. Using pulse wave velocity (PWV) we investigated the impact of baseline factors in predicting PWV changes over a 5-year period. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that certain baseline factors in older Asian adults are predictive of PWV trajectories later in life independent of chronological age. Methods: Participants without CVD from a community-based cohort had their clinical risk factors collected prospectively, and PWV (m/s) measured using a cuff-based oscillometric pulse wave analysis machine at baseline and 5-year timepoint. Results: This analysis included 159 participants (41.5% women, mean age 67.7 ± 10.2 years). ΔPWV (2.19 ± 2.25), the 5-year change in PWV, was associated with baseline PWV (β = -0.687, p < 0.001), age (β = 0.084, p < 0.001), hypertension (β=0.763, p = 0.033), weight (β = -0.042, p = 0.018) and waist circumference (β = -0.045, p = 0.018). Gender, body mass index, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and lifetime smoking status were not significantly associated with ΔPWV. ΔPWV was independently associated with baseline PWV (β = -1.17, 95% CI -1.65 - -0.70, p < 0.001) and age (β = 0.144, 95% CI 0.09 - 0.20, p < 0.001) adjusting for weight, waist circumference and hypertension, with insignificant interaction between baseline PWV and age (p = 0.431). Participants with increases in PWV after 5 years, compared to those without PWV increase, had lower PWV (8.52 ± 1.81 vs 11.10 ± 2.44) at baseline. Conclusions: Baseline PWV was associated with changes in AS over a 5-year period independent of age and clinical risk factors. The inverse relationship between baseline PWV and ΔPWV may suggest plateauing of PWV increases at higher baseline PWV levels. In addition, high baseline PWV may not predict worsening of AS later in life.