Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Research Articles

Effect of Incorporating 1 Avocado per Day Versus Habitual Diet on Vascular Function in Adults With Abdominal Obesity: An Ancillary Study of HAT, a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abdominal obesity is associated with endothelial dysfunction and poorer vascular health. Avocado consumption improves postprandial endothelial function; however, the longer-term effects remain unclear. It was hypothesized that the daily addition of 1 avocado to a habitual diet for 6 months would improve flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity in individuals with abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥35 in for women, ≥40 in for men), compared with a habitual diet low in avocados. HAT (Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial) was a multicenter, randomized, controlled, parallel-arm study that investigated the health effects of adding 1 avocado per day to a habitual diet in individuals with abdominal obesity. At the Pennsylvania State University, University Park study center (n=134; age, 50 ± 13 years; women, 78%; body mass index, 32.6 ± 4.8 kg/m2), markers of vascular function were measured, including endothelial function, assessed via brachial artery flow-mediated dilation, and arterial stiffness, assessed via carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Between-group differences in 6-month change in flow-mediated dilation and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were assessed using independent t tests. Prespecified subgroup analyses were conducted using linear regression. No significant between-group differences in flow-mediated dilation (mean difference=-0.62% [95% CI, -1.70 to 0.46]) or carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (0.25 m/s [95% CI, -0.13 to 0.63]) were observed. Results of the subgroup analyses were consistent with the primary analyses. Longer-term consumption of 1 avocado per day as part of a habitual diet did not improve measures of vascular function compared with a habitual diet low in avocados in individuals with abdominal obesity. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03528031.

Plasma Metabolome Predicts Aortic Stiffness and Future Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Mortality After 23 Years of Follow-Up in the General Population.

Increased aortic stiffness (arteriosclerosis) is associated with early vascular aging independent of age and sex. The underlying mechanisms of early vascular aging remain largely unexplored in the general population. We aimed to investigate the plasma metabolomic profile in aortic stiffness (vascular aging) and associated risk of incident cardiovascular disease and mortality. We included 6865 individuals from 2 Swedish population-based cohorts. Untargeted plasma metabolomics was performed by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry. Aortic stiffness was assessed directly by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and indirectly by augmentation index (AIx@75). A least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model was created on plasma metabolites in order to predict aortic stiffness. Associations between metabolite-predicted aortic stiffness and risk of new-onset cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality were calculated. Metabolite-predicted aortic stiffness (PWV and AIx@75) was positively associated particularly with acylcarnitines, dimethylguanidino valeric acid, glutamate, and cystine. The plasma metabolome predicted aortic stiffness (PWV and AIx@75) with good accuracy (R2=0.27 and R2=0.39, respectively). Metabolite-predicted aortic stiffness (PWV and AIx@75) was significantly correlated with age, sex, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and low-density lipoprotein. After 23 years of follow-up, metabolite-predicted aortic stiffness (PWV and AIx@75) was significantly associated with increased risk of new-onset coronary artery disease, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality. Aortic stiffness is associated particularly with altered metabolism of acylcarnitines, cystine, and dimethylguanidino valeric acid. These metabolic disturbances predict increased risk of new-onset coronary artery disease, cardiovascular mortality, and all-cause mortality after more than 23 years of follow-up in the general population.

Inverse association between arterial stiffness and perceived fatigue independent of disability status and BMI in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated, neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Fatigue represents one of the most prevalent and limiting symptoms of MS, and is associated with vascular dysfunction, notably increased arterial stiffness. This study examined the relationship between arterial stiffness and perceived fatigue in persons with MS. The sample of 52 persons with MS (71.2% Female; Age: 46.7 ± 12.3 yrs.) completed arterial stiffness and fatigue assessments as baseline for an exercise training intervention. Applanation tonometry measured arterial stiffness, pulsatility and waveform characteristics, and yielded the following outcomes: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), carotid pulse-pressure (cPP), and aortic augmentation pressure (AP). Perceived fatigue was measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The mean (SD) scores for cfPWV, cPP, and AP were 7.0 ± 1.8m/s, 35.7 ± 8.8mmHg, 8.2 ± 6.2mmHg, respectively. The mean (SD) FSS score was 4.6 ± 1.4 and indicated elevated fatigue. There were statistically significant (p < .05) inverse correlations between cfPWV (r = -.32), cPP (r = -.37) and AP (r = -.32) with FSS scores, and the correlations remained significant even after controlling for disability, body mass index, age, and sex. Our results indicate a consistent pattern of inverse relationships between arterial stiffness, pulsatility, and waveforms with fatigue independent of disability, body mass index, age, and sex in MS. This could be explained by lower sympathetic activation linking higher arterial stiffness, pulsatility and augmentation pressure with lower fatigue in persons with MS.

Vascular function and skeletal fragility: A study of tonometry, brachial hemodynamics, and bone microarchitecture.

Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease frequently occur together in older adults; however, a causal relationship between these two common conditions has not been established. By the time clinical cardiovascular disease develops, it is often too late to test whether vascular dysfunction developed before or after the onset of osteoporosis. Therefore, we assessed the association of vascular function, measured by tonometry and brachial hemodynamic testing, with bone density, microarchitecture, and strength, measured by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), in 1391 individuals in the Framingham Heart Study. We hypothesized that decreased vascular function (pulse wave velocity, primary pressure wave, brachial pulse pressure, baseline flow amplitude and brachial flow velocity) contributes to deficits in bone density, microarchitecture and strength, particularly in cortical bone, which is less protected from excessive blood flow pulsatility than the trabecular compartment. We found that individuals with increased carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity had lower cortical volumetric bone mineral density (tibia: -0.21 [-0.26,-0.15] standardized beta [95% confidence interval], radius: -0.20 [-0.26,-0.15]), lower cortical thickness (tibia: -0.09 [-0.15,-0.04], radius: -0.07 [-0.12,-0.01]) and increased cortical porosity (tibia: 0.20 [0.15,0.25], radius: 0.21 [0.15,0.27]). However, these associations did not persist after adjustment for age, sex, height, and weight. These results suggest that vascular dysfunction with aging may not be an etiologic mechanism that contributes to the co-occurrence of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease in older adults. Further study employing longitudinal measures of HR-pQCT parameters is needed to fully elucidate the link between vascular function and bone health.

Preliminary Study on Pulse Wave Changes in Patients with Inflammatory Arthropathies Treated with bDMARDs.

Background: Patients with inflammatory arthropathies exhibit an increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk as compared to the general population, which is not fully quantified by the conventional CVD risk scores. Biotechnological disease-modifying drugs (bDMARDs) have proved beneficial to reduce the overall CVD risk in these patients, although CVD remains a major cause of increased mortality. Since it has been shown that pulse wave parameters and in particular carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) are predictors of CVD risk, the aim of this study was to evaluate their changes in patients with inflammatory arthropathies before and after bDMARD therapy. Methods: Pulse wave parameters were evaluated with applanation tonometry in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), before and after two years of bDMARD therapy. Results: At baseline, cfPWV was significantly associated with age (p < 0.001) and, among pulse wave parameters, the subendocardial viability ratio was negatively associated with C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.04) and the HAQ-disability index (p = 0.03). At baseline, PsA patients showed a higher percentage of male subjects, higher CRP, and the highest cfPWV values (p = 0.048). After two years, pulse wave parameters improved in the AS and RA groups, but not in the PsA group. Conclusions: Our data confirm that pulse wave parameters are potentially reversible after bDMARD therapy, as they improved in AS and RA patients. In PsA patients, there were no changes, which may be due to the higher percentage of male subjects and higher baseline cfPWV values.

Effect of low-volume combined aerobic and resistance high-intensity interval training on vascular health in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial.

We compared the effects of low-volume combined aerobic and resistance high-intensity interval training (C-HIIT), combined moderate-intensity continuous training (C-MICT) and waitlist control (CON) on vascular health after 8-weeks of supervised training, and an additional 10-months of self-directed training, in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Sixty-nine low active adults with T2D were randomised to 8-weeks of supervised C-HIIT (3 times/week, 78-min/week), C-MICT (current exercise guidelines, 4 times/week, 210-min/week) or CON. CON underwent usual care for 8-weeks before being re-randomised to C-HIIT or C-MICT. This was followed by 10-months of self-directed training for participants in C-HIIT and C-MICT. Vascular outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 8-weeks, and 12-months. After 8-weeks, supervised C-HIIT significantly improved relative flow-mediated dilation (FMD) compared with CON (mean difference [MD] 0.8% [0.1, 1.4], p = 0.025). Although not significantly different from CON, the magnitude of change in relative FMD following 8-weeks of supervised C-MICT was similar (MD 0.8% [-0.1, 1.7], p = 0.080). There were no differences in haemodynamic indices, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), or aortic reservoir pressure between groups at 8-weeks. After 12-months, there was a significant reduction in haemodynamic indices (time effect, p < 0.05) for both C-HIIT and C-MICT, with no between-group difference. The reduction in cfPWV over 12-months was significantly greater in C-MICT than C-HIIT (group × time effect, p = 0.018). There was no difference in FMD over time or between groups at 12-months. Short-term supervised C-HIIT and C-MICT both increased brachial artery FMD compared with CON. Long-term C-HIIT and C-MICT were beneficial for improving haemodynamic indices, but not brachial artery FMD. C-MICT was superior to C-HIIT for improving cfPWV at 12-months. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Identifier ACTRN12615000475549.

Associations of between- and within-day patterns of physical activity accumulation with arterial stiffness and indices of microvascular health-Evidence from The Maastricht study.

While physical activity (PA) is understood to promote vascular health, little is known about whether the daily and weekly patterns of PA accumulation associate with vascular health. Accelerometer-derived (activPAL3) 6- or 7-day stepping was analyzed for 6430 participants in The Maastricht Study (50.4% women; 22.4% Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)). Multivariable regression models examined associations between stepping metrics (average step count, and time spent slower and faster paced stepping) with arterial stiffness (measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV)), and several indices of microvascular health (heat-induced skin hyperemia, retinal vessel reactivity and diameter), adjusting for confounders and moderators. PA pattern metrics were added to the regression models to identify associations with vascular health beyond that of stepping metrics. Analyses were stratified by T2DM status if an interaction effect was present. Average step count and time spent faster paced stepping was associated with better vascular health, and the association was stronger in those with compared to those without T2DM. In fully adjusted models a higher step count inter-daily stability was associated with a higher (worse) cfPWV in those without T2DM (std β = 0.04, p = 0.007) and retinal venular diameter in the whole cohort (std β = 0.07, p = 0.002). A higher within-day variability in faster paced stepping was associated with a lower (worse) heat-induced skin hyperemia in those with T2DM (std β = -0.31, p = 0.008). Above and beyond PA volume, the daily and weekly patterns in which PA was accumulated were additionally associated with improved macro- and microvascular health, which may have implications for the prevention of vascular disease.

Arterial stiffness and incident glaucoma: a large population-based cohort study

To investigate whether arterial stiffness, assessed oscillometrically, is associated with incident glaucoma in the Vitamin D Assessment (ViDA) Study cohort, aged 50-84 years. Prospective, population-based cohort study METHODS: : Arterial stiffness was assessed in 4713 participants without known glaucoma (mean±SD age = 66±8 years) from 5 April 2011 to 6 November 2012 by way of aortic PWV (aPWV), estimated carotid-femoral PWV (ePWV) and aortic PP (aPP). Incident glaucoma was identified through linkage to national prescription and hospital discharge registers. Relative risks of glaucoma for each arterial stiffness measure were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression, over the continuum of values and by quartiles. During a mean±SD follow-up of 10.5±0.4 years, 301 participants developed glaucoma. Arterial stiffness, as measured by aPWV (Hazard ratio (HR) per SD increase, 1.36, 95%CI 1.14-1.62) and ePWV (HR per SD increase, 1.40, 95%CI 1.14-1.71) but not aPP (HR per SD increase, 1.06, 95%CI 0.92-1.23) was associated with incident glaucoma. When arterial stiffness was analyzed as a categorical variable, the highest quartiles of aPWV (HR, 2.62, 95%CI 1.52-4.52; Ptrend=0.007), ePWV (HR, 2.42, 95%CI 1.37-4.27; Ptrend=0.03), and aPP (HR, 1.68, 95%CI 1.10-2.5; Ptrend=0.02) were associated with the development of glaucoma. Arterial stiffness measured with a simple oscillometric device predicted the development of glaucoma and could potentially be used in clinical practice to help identify people at risk of this condition. It may also present a new therapeutic research avenue, including in respect of systemic antihypertensives.

Association of the trimethylamine N-oxide with cardiovascular risk and vascular alterations in middle-aged patients with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is synthesized by the intestinal microbiota and is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated TMAO levels across different CVD-risk patient groups, and evaluated associations between TMAO and vascular alterations (e.g., arterial stiffness, intima-media thickness (IMT), and the presence and grade of carotid artery plaques (CAPs)).Methods: We examined 95 patients (58.5 ± 7.3 years): 40 with clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), 40 with atherosclerosis risk factors (RF), and 15 controls. Arterial stiffness was measured by Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (C-F PWV). B-mode ultrasound was used to evaluate the presence and grade of CAPs and carotid IMT (CIMT). TMAO was measured by high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and results were presented as the median (interquartile range).Results: TMAO levels were higher in patients with ASCVD (251.5 (164.5) µg/l) when compared to patients with RFs (194.0 (174) µg/l, p = 0.04) and controls (122.0 (77) µg/l, p < 0.001). A significant correlation was observed between TMAO and PWV (r = 0.31, p = 0.003), which was not confirmed after adjustment for RFs. TMAO levels were significantly correlated with plaque score (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) and plaque height (r = 0.41, p = 0.003), and were independent predictors for grade III plaques (odds ratio (OR) = 1.002, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.000047-1.003, p = 0.044).Conclusions: TMAO levels are increased with expanded CVD risk. Across different types of vascular damage, TMAO is associated with atherosclerotic changes.

Longitudinal study of birthweight, blood pressure, and markers of arterial stiffness in children age six among the TIDES cohort.

Although some studies have observed an association between birthweight and cardiovascular disease in adulthood, fewer have investigated whether birthweight is linked to cardiovascular health in early childhood. This study assesses the association between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes in children 6 years of age. Birthweight, blood pressure (BP), and markers of arterial stiffness in children, including brachial artery distensibility and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), were obtained from 324 participants in The Infant Development and the Environment Study, a prospective multisite pregnancy cohort. Birthweight was converted into sex-specific birthweight-for-gestational-age (bw/ga) z-scores based on the INTERGROWTH-21st standard. Following 2017 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines, SBP and DBP were transformed into sex, age, and height-specific z-scores. Associations between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes were assessed using nested multivariable linear regression models among the overall and sex-stratified samples. Among the overall sample, bw/ga z-score was positively associated with cfPWV [b = 0.11 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.01 m/s, 0.21 m/s] in crude and adjusted models. No associations between birthweight and cardiovascular outcomes were detected among the sex-stratified analyses. Overall, birthweight was not related to cardiovascular outcomes in children 6 years old. However, infants born with a higher birthweight may be at risk for higher cfPWV in childhood. Early intervention in pregnant people at risk of delivering high birthweight infants may be warranted if results are replicated.

Gut microbiota and its relationship with early vascular ageing in a Spanish population (MIVAS study).

Gut microbiota and its by-products are increasingly recognized as having a decisive role in cardiovascular diseases. The aim is to study the relationship between gut microbiota and early vascular ageing (EVA). A cross-sectional study was developed in Salamanca (Spain) in which 180 subjects aged 45-74 years were recruited. EVA was defined by the presence of at least one of the following: carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) or brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) above the 90th percentile of the reference population. All other cases were considered normal vascular ageing (NVA). cf-PWV was measured by SphygmoCor® System; CAVI and ba-PWV were determined by Vasera 2000® device. Gut microbiome composition in faecal samples was determined by 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing. Mean age was 64.4 ± 6.9 in EVA group and 60.4 ± 7.6 years in NVA (p < .01). Women in EVA group were 41% and 53% in NVA. There were no differences in the overall composition of gut microbiota between the two groups when evaluating Firmicutes/Bacteriodetes ratio, alfa diversity (Shannon Index) and beta diversity (Bray-Curtis). Bilophila, Faecalibacterium sp.UBA1819 and Phocea, are increased in EVA group. While Cedecea, Lactococcus, Pseudomonas, Succiniclasticum and Dielma exist in lower abundance. In logistic regression analysis, Bilophila (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.12-2.6, p = .013) remained significant. In the studied Spanish population, early vascular ageing is positively associated with gut microbiota abundance of the genus Bilophila. No relationship was found between phyla abundance and measures of diversity.

Salt Perception Threshold and Vascular Risk in Prehypertensive Women Compared to Normotensive and Hypertensive Women

Objectives: To evaluate and compare the Salt perception threshold and vascular stiffness in pre-hypertensive women with that of normotensive and hypertensive women. Materials and Methods: Study design – This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 440 adult females in the age group of 25–60 years from urban and rural areas were included in the study. After initial screening, the subjects were divided into three groups. Group I: Prehypertensive females; Group II: Hypertensive females; and Group III: Normotensive females. Salt perception threshold was determined by salt impregnated taste strips with sodium chloride at different concentrations. Vascular stiffness of the subjects was measured and compared using an oscillometric non-invasive arteriography. Results: The salt intake was higher by 2.1 g/day in Group I females and 5.6 g/day in Group II females when compared to Group III females. The salt detection threshold and SPT were higher significantly in pre-hypertensive females and much higher in hypertensive females compared to normotensive females. The mean values of brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) and carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV) were found to be significantly higher in Group I females compared to normotensives. Conclusion: High SPT in prehypertensive females will lead to high consumption of salt to achieve taste satisfaction. A progressive reduction of salt in food is recommended in these females would significantly decrease the percent progression of pre-HTN to HTN decreasing the risk for cardiovascular morbidity.

Endothelial dysfunction influences augmented aortic hemodynamic responses to metaboreflex activation in postmenopausal women.

Postmenopausal women experience augmented aortic hemodynamic responses to isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise and metaboreflex activation post-exercise muscle ischemia (PEMI). Relationships between endothelial function brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and aortic stiffness carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) with aortic pulsatile hemodynamics during IHG and PEMI have not been determined. The relationships between aortic hemodynamic responses to PEMI were evaluated. Aortic blood pressure (BP), wave reflection, and pressure of forward (Pf) and backward (Pb) waves were measured using arterial tonometry at rest, IHG at 30% maximal force, and PEMI in 30 (15/group) postmenopausal women with low (≤ 4.5%) and normal (≥ 5.5%) FMD. Hemodynamic responses were analyzed as the change (Δ) from rest to the last minute of IHG and PEMI. Brachial and aortic systolic BP (SBP) responses to IHG were higher in the low vs normal FMD group (P < 0.05). Aortic SBP (Δ20 ± 8 vs Δ11 ± 7mmHg), pulse pressure (PP) (Δ12 ± 8 vs Δ6 ± 4mmHg), augmented pressure (AP) (Δ5 ± 3 vs Δ2 ± 2mmHg), and Pb (Δ6 ± 4 vs Δ3 ± 2mmHg) responses to PEMI were greater (P < 0.05) in women with low vs. normal FMD. FMD was negatively correlated with aortic SBP, PP, AP, and Pb (P < 0.05) responses to PEMI. cfPWV was not correlated with responses to PEMI. Endothelial dysfunction relates to augmented aortic pulsatile load during metaboreflex activation, which may increase cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women.

Estimated pulse wave velocity and risk of new-onset heart failure.

As a potential surrogate of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) has been confirmed to independently predict the cardiovascular events, but the association between ePWV and heart failure has not been well confirmed. Therefore, we performed this cohort study to evaluate the association between ePWV and risk of new-onset heart failure. A total of 98269 employees (mean age: 51.77±12.56years, male accounted for 79.9%) without prior heart failure who participated in the 2006-2007 health examination were selected as the observation cohort, with an average follow-up of 13.85±1.40years. Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of ePWV was calculated in prediction of heart failure. The adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. The category-free net reclassification index (NRI) was calculated to evaluate the reclassification performance of cardiovascular risk models after adding ePWV. The AUC of ePWV was 0.74 in prediction of heart failure. After adjusting for the traditional cardiovascular risk factors except for age and blood pressure, the risk of new-onset heart failure increased by 35% [hazard ratio (HR): 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.33-1.37] for each 1m/s increase in ePWV. Subgroup analysis showed that ePWV was significantly associated with incident heart failure regardless of THE presence (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.31-1.36, P<0.01) or absence (HR: 1.59, 95% CI: 1.46-1.73, P<0.01) of cardiovascular risk factors, male (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.31-1.36, P<0.01) or female (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.38-1.51, P<0.01), young and middle-aged (<52years) (HR: 1.50, 95% CI: 1.41-1.58, P<0.01), or middle-aged and elderly (≥52years) (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.21-1.26, P<0.01). The addition of ePWV to the traditional cardiovascular risk model including age and mean arterial pressure could significantly improve the reclassification ability by 31.1% (category-free NRI=0.311, P<0.01). ePWV was an independent predictor for new-onset heart failure.

Association between proinflammatory cytokines and arterial stiffness in type 1 diabetic adolescents.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is considered a state of chronic low-grade inflammation and activation of the innate immune system, which is regulated by several proinflammatory cytokines and other acute-phase reactants. Arterial stiffness, a dynamic property of the vessels evaluated by the determination of pulse wave velocity (PWV), is increased in diabetic patients and is associated with microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes and higher cardiovascular risk. In the present study, we aimed to compare the proinflammatory state and arterial stiffness in diabetic and non-diabetic adolescents, and to characterize the association between these two parameters. Twenty-three type 1 diabetic patients, aged 12-16 years, followed at a tertiary center, and 23 adolescents nonoverweighted healthy controls, from a Portuguese birth-cohort, were included in the present analysis. Anthropometry, blood pressure, glycemic control data, and lipid parameters were collected. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Proinflammatory cytokines' concentrations (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IFN-γ, and GM-CSF) were quantified by multiplex immunoassays using a Luminex 200 analyzer. There were no statistically significant differences between the proinflammatory cytokines' concentrations in the two groups. PWV [6.63 (6.23-7.07) vs. 6.07 (5.15-6.65) m/s, p=0.015] was significantly higher in the diabetic group. PWV was negatively correlated with GM-CSF (ρ=-0.437, p=0.037) in the diabetic group. A linear association was found between diabetes duration and PWV (with PWV increasing by 0.094 m/s (95 % confidence interval, 0.019 to 0.169) per month of disease duration). In the diabetic group, HbA1c was negatively correlated with IL-10 (ρ=-0.473, p=0.026). Negative correlations were also found between IL-10 and total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol only in the diabetic group. Diabetic adolescent patients present higher PWV, when compared to their healthy counterparts, even though we could not find differences in the levels of several proinflammatory cytokines between the two groups. The negative correlation found between IL-10 and HbA1c might translate a protective counterbalance effect of this anti-inflammatory cytokine, which might also explain the negative correlations found with blood lipids. Further studies are needed to better clarify the association between arterial stiffness and the proinflammatory milieu of diabetes.

Correlation between estimated pulse wave velocity values from two equations in healthy and under cardiovascular risk populations.

Equations can calculate pulse wave velocity (ePWV) from blood pressure values (BP) and age. The ePWV predicts cardiovascular events beyond carotid-femoral PWV. We aimed to evaluate the correlation between four different equations to calculate ePWV. The ePWV was estimated utilizing mean BP (MBP) from office BP (MBPOBP) or 24-hour ambulatory BP (MBP24-hBP). We separated the whole sample into two groups: individuals with risk factors and healthy individuals. The e-PWV was calculated as follows: [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] We calculated the concordance correlation coefficient (Pc) between e1-PWVOBP vs e2-PWVOBP, e1-PWV24-hBP vs e2-PWV24-hBP, and mean values of e1-PWVOBP, e2-PWVOBP, e1-PWV24-hBP and e2-PWV24-hBP. The multilevel regression model determined how much the ePWVs are influenced by age and MBP values. We analyzed data from 1541 individuals; 1374 ones with risk factors and 167 healthy ones. The values are presented for the entire sample, for risk-factor patients and for healthy individuals respectively. The correlation between e1-PWVOBP with e2-PWVOBP and e1-PWV24-hBP with e2-PWV24-hBP was almost perfect. The Pc for e1-PWVOBP vs e2-PWVOBP was 0.996 (0.995-0.996), 0.996 (0.995-0.996), and 0.994 (0.992-0.995); furthermore, it was 0.994 (0.993-0.995), 0.994 (0.994-0.995), 0.987 (0.983-0.990) to the e1-PWV24-hBP vs e2-PWV24-hBP. There were no significant differences between mean values (m/s) for e1-PWVOBP vs e2-PWVOBP 8.98±1.9 vs 8.97±1.8; p = 0.88, 9.14±1.8 vs 9.13±1.8; p = 0.88, and 7.57±1.3 vs 7.65±1.3; p = 0.5; mean values are also similar for e1-PWV24-hBP vs e2-PWV24-hBP, 8.36±1.7 vs 8.46±1.6; p = 0.09, 8.50±1.7 vs 8.58±1.7; p = 0.21 and 7.26±1.3 vs 7.39±1.2; p = 0.34. The multiple linear regression showed that age, MBP, and age2 predicted more than 99.5% of all four e-PWV. Our data presents a nearly perfect correlation between the values of two equations to calculate the estimated PWV, whether utilizing office or ambulatory blood pressure.

Association of Arterial Stiffness With Mid- to Long-Term Home Blood Pressure Variability in the Electronic Framingham Heart Study: Cohort Study.

Short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension. Few studies have examined associations between arterial stiffness and digital home BPV over a mid- to long-term time span, irrespective of underlying hypertension. This study aims to investigate if arterial stiffness traits were associated with subsequent mid- to long-term home BPV in the electronic Framingham Heart Study (eFHS). We hypothesized that higher arterial stiffness was associated with higher home BPV over up to 1-year follow-up. At a Framingham Heart Study research examination (2016-2019), participants underwent arterial tonometry to acquire measures of arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [CFPWV]; forward pressure wave amplitude [FWA]) and wave reflection (reflection coefficient [RC]). Participants who agreed to enroll in eFHS were provided with a digital blood pressure (BP) cuff to measure home BP weekly over up to 1-year follow-up. Participants with less than 3 weeks of BP readings were excluded. Linear regression models were used to examine associations of arterial measures with average real variability (ARV) of week-to-week home systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP adjusting for important covariates. We obtained ARV as an average of the absolute differences of consecutive home BP measurements. ARV considers not only the dispersion of the BP readings around the mean but also the order of BP readings. In addition, ARV is more sensitive to measurement-to-measurement BPV compared with traditional BPV measures. Among 857 eFHS participants (mean age 54, SD 9 years; 508/857, 59% women; mean SBP/DBP 119/76 mm Hg; 405/857, 47% hypertension), 1 SD increment in FWA was associated with 0.16 (95% CI 0.09-0.23) SD increments in ARV of home SBP and 0.08 (95% CI 0.01-0.15) SD increments in ARV of home DBP; 1 SD increment in RC was associated with 0.14 (95% CI 0.07-0.22) SD increments in ARV of home SBP and 0.11 (95% CI 0.04-0.19) SD increments in ARV of home DBP. After adjusting for important covariates, there was no significant association between CFPWV and ARV of home SBP, and similarly, no significant association existed between CFPWV and ARV of home DBP (P>.05). In eFHS, higher FWA and RC were associated with higher mid- to long-term ARV of week-to-week home SBP and DBP over 1-year follow-up in individuals across the BP spectrum. Our findings suggest that higher aortic stiffness and wave reflection are associated with higher week-to-week variation of BP in a home-based setting over a mid- to long-term time span.

Maternal Seafood Consumption during Pregnancy and Cardiovascular Health of Children at 11 Years of Age.

Nutrition is critical during pregnancy for the healthy growth of the developing infant, who is fully dependent on maternal dietary omega-3 supply for development. Fatty fish, a main dietary source of omega-3, is associated with decreased cardiovascular risk in adults. We conducted a longitudinal study based on a mother-offspring cohort as part of the project Infancia y Medio Ambiente (INMA) in order to assess whether fish intake during pregnancy relates to cardiovascular health in children. A total of 657 women were included and followed throughout pregnancy until birth, and their children were enrolled at birth and followed up until age 11-12. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the daily intake of foods during the 1st and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy. Cardiovascular assessments included arterial stiffness (assessed by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV]) and retinal microcirculation (photographic assessment of central retinal arteriolar and venular equivalent [CRAE and CRVE]). The association between maternal fish consumption and cardiovascular outcomes of offspring at 11 years of age was evaluated using multivariable linear regression models. There were no statistically significant differences in any cardiovascular endpoint in children whose mothers had a higher fish consumption during pregnancy compared to those with a lower fish consumption. We found a slightly higher PWV (β = 0.1, 95% CI = 0.0; 0.2, p for trend = 0.047) in children whose mothers had a higher consumption of canned tuna during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. Fish intake during pregnancy was found to be unrelated to the offspring's cardiovascular health at 11 years of age. The beneficial cardiovascular effects of fish consumption during pregnancy on the offspring are still inconclusive.

Predictive Value of Carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events and All-cause Mortality in Different Age Groups of a Chinese Community

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) for assessing major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and all-cause mortality in different age groups of a Chinese community. Methods: This is an observational study which enrolled 1,325 individuals from a community in Beijing from September 2007 to October 2018. They were classified based on age into &lt;65-year-old (n = 572) and ≥65-year-old (n = 753) groups, and on cf-PWV into cf-PWV &lt;12 m/s (n = 501) and cf-PWV≥12 m/s (n = 824) group. The incidence rates of MACE and all-cause mortality were recorded for both the groups during the follow-up period of 9.5 years. The predictive value of cf-PWV for MACE and all-cause mortality in the 2 age groups was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: The baseline cf-PWV showed positive correlation with age (r = 0.462, P &lt; 0.001). During the follow-up period, 191 MACE and 84 all-cause mortality cases were recorded in the study population. The incidence rates of MACE (χ 2 = 27.196, P &lt; 0.001) and all-cause mortality (χ 2 = 9.473, P = 0.002) were significantly higher in subjects with cf-PWV ≥12 m/s than in subjects with cf-PWV &lt;12 m/s. Cox proportional hazards regression model analyses demonstrated that cf-PWV was an independent risk factor in the &lt;65-year-old group for MACE (hazard ratio: 1.310; 95% confidence interval: 1.007–1.560; P = 0.038) and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio: 1.412; 95% confidence interval: 1.133–1.936; P = 0.005) after adjusting for several risk factors. However, both univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that cf-PWV was not an independent risk factor for MACE or all-cause mortality in the ≥65-year-old group (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusion: cf-PWV, a measure of arterial stiffness, emerged as an independent risk factor for MACE and all-cause mortality in subjects below 65 years of age.

Accelerometer-based sedentary time, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from childhood with arterial stiffness and carotid IMT progression: A 13-year longitudinal study of 1339 children.

We examined the longitudinal associations of sedentary time (ST), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) from childhood with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a measure of arterial stiffness and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT). We studied 1339 children, aged 11 years from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, UK, followed up for 13 years. Accelerometer-based ST, LPA, and MVPA were assessed at ages 11, 15, and 24 years clinic visits. cfPWV and cIMT were measured with Vicorder and ultrasound, respectively, at ages 17 and 24 years. Among 1339 [56.4% female] participants, mean ST increased from ages 11 through 24 years, while mean LPA and MVPA decreased. Persistently high ST tertile from childhood was associated with increased cfPWV progression, effect estimate 0.047 m/s; [(95% CI 0.005 to 0.090); p = 0.030], but not cIMT progression. Persistently high LPA tertile category was associated with decreased cfPWV progression in males -0.022 m/s; [(-0.028 to -0.017); p < 0.001] and females -0.027 m/s; [(-0.044 to -0.010); p < 0.001]. Cumulative LPA exposure decreased the odds of progressively worsening cfPWV [Odds ratio 0.994 (0.994-0.995); p < 0.0001] and cIMT. Persistent exposure to ≥60 min/day of MVPA was paradoxically associated with increased cfPWV progression in males 0.053 m/s; [(0.030 to 0.077); p < 0.001] and females 0.012 m/s; [(0.002 to 0.022); p = 0.016]. Persistent exposure to ≥60 min/day of MVPA was inversely associated with cIMT progression in females -0.017 mm; [(-0.026 to -0.009); p < 0.001]. LPA >3 h/day from childhood may attenuate progressively worsening vascular damage associated with increased ST in youth.