Improvement of Arterial Stiffness in the Transition From Acute Decompensated Heart Failure to Chronic Compensated Heart Failure

Abstract

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a well-established marker for aortic stiffness and may be a prognostic factor in heart failure (HF). This study investigates whether PWV changes as patients transition from acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) to chronic compensated heart failure (CCHF). Arterial stiffness is related with the development of HF. Regional PWV was prospectively measured using noninvasive applanation tonometry in consecutive ADHF patients (n = 55). PWV measurements of 45 patients were taken at admission and 3-month follow-up (F/U). Central and upper-extremity PWV, but not lower-extremity PWVs, were found to have improved after 3 months compared with the admission PWV (central: 8.73 ± 1.17 vs 8.39 ± 0.99 m/s, P = 0.018; upper extremity: 8.59 ± 0.84 vs 8.33 ± 0.82 m/s, P = 0.028). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly associated with the change of PWV in HF (odds ratio: 1.037, 95% confidence interval: 1.003-1.071, P = 0.030). In preserved left ventricular ejection fraction patients (n = 26) and ischemic patients (n = 31), central and upper-extremity PWVs improved over the admission PWV at 3-month F/U. The present results indicate that central and upper-extremity PWVs, but not lower-extremity PWV, are increased in ADHF and improve as patients transition from ADHF to CCHF.