Abstract
BackgroundBrachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), which reflects the stiffness of both central and peripheral muscular arteries, has been frequently used as a simple index for assessing arterial stiffness. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of arterial stiffness in North China based on baPWV measurements, and explore the associations between increased arterial stiffness and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).MethodsTwenty-three community populations were established in North China. For each participant, parameters for calculating baPWV, including blood pressures and pressure waveforms, were measured using a non-invasive automatic device. All participants were required to respond to an interviewer-led questionnaire including medical histories and demographic data, and to receive blood tests on biochemical indictors.ResultsA total of 2,852 participants were finally investigated. Among them, 1,201 people with low burden of CVD risk factors were chosen to be the healthy reference sample. The cut-off point of high baPWV was defined as age-specific 90th percentile of the reference sample. Thus, the prevalence of high baPWV was found to be 22.3% and 26.4% in men and women respectively. After adjusted for age, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting glucose level, and smoking were significantly associated with high baPWV in men; while level of serum total cholesterol (TC), HR, SBP, and diabetes were significantly associated with high baPWV in women.ConclusionsBased on the age-specific cut-off points, the middle-aged population has a higher prevalence of high baPWV in North China. There exists a difference between men and women in terms of the potential risk factors associated with arterial stiffness.
Highlights
Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity, which reflects the stiffness of both central and peripheral muscular arteries, has been frequently used as a simple index for assessing arterial stiffness
The 50–59 years age group had the highest prevalence of high Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) (39.6%), while the 60–69 years age group had the highest prevalence of high baPWV (38.8%) in women
The present study investigated the prevalence of arterial stiffness in North China on the basis of a 23community-based study population, and explored the association between high baPWV and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors based on general population other than highly characteristic cohorts
Summary
Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), which reflects the stiffness of both central and peripheral muscular arteries, has been frequently used as a simple index for assessing arterial stiffness. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of arterial stiffness in North China based on baPWV measurements, and explore the associations between increased arterial stiffness and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Increased arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis are associated with several risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), such as elevated level of blood glucose, hypertension, obesity, and smoking [1,2,3]. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), which reflects the stiffness of both central and peripheral muscular arteries, can be calculated via noninvasive measurements. The second aim of this study is to explore the potential CVD factors associated with arterial stiffness defined by high baPWV in Chinese community-based populations
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