Association of incremental pulse wave velocity with cardiometabolic risk factors.

We investigate the association of incremental pulse wave velocity (ΔC; the change in pulse wave velocity over a cardiac cycle) with cardiometabolic risk factors and report the first and (currently) the largest population-level data. In a cross-sectional study performed in a cohort of 1373 general population participants, ΔC was measured using clinically validated ARTSENS devices. There were 455 participants in the metabolic syndrome (MetS) group whose average ΔC was ~ 28.4% higher than that of the non-metabolic syndrome (Non-MetS) group. Females with MetS showed ~ 10.9% elevated average ΔC compared to males of the Non-MetS group. As the number of risk factors increased from 0 to 5, the average ΔC escalated by ~ 55% (1.50 ± 0.52 m/s to 2.33 ± 0.91 m/s). A gradual increase in average ΔC was observed across each decade from the younger (ΔC = 1.53 ± 0.54 m/s) to geriatric (ΔC = 2.34 ± 0.59 m/s) populations. There was also a significant difference in ΔC among the blood pressure categories. Most importantly, ΔC ≥ 1.81 m/s predicted a constellation of ≥ 3 risks with AUC = 0.615, OR = 2.309, and RR = 1.703. All statistical trends remained significant, even after adjusting for covariates. The study provides initial evidence for the potential use of ΔC as a tool for the early detection and screening of vascular dysfunction, which opens up avenues for active clinical and epidemiological studies. Further investigations are encouraged to confirm and establish the causative mechanism for the reported associations.

Associations between arterial stiffness and blood pressure fluctuations after spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional. OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between arterial stiffness and daily fluctuations in blood pressure (BP) owing to hypotensive events and autonomic dysreflexia (AD) in individuals with a T6 and above spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: University-based laboratory in Vancouver, BC, Canada. METHODS: Twenty-six individuals (73% male; 43 (11) years) with a chronic (> 1 year post SCI), traumatic, motor-complete SCI with a neurological level of injury of C4-T6 participated in this study. Arterial stiffness was assessed using carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). BP was measured over a 24-hr period using ambulatory BP monitoring. AD was defined as an increase in systolic BP > 20 mmHg above baseline BP. Hypotensive events were defined as a decrease in systolic BP ≥ 20 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 10 mmHg below baseline. The severity and frequency of these events were quantified and Pearson and Spearman's correlations between them and cfPWV were performed. RESULTS: AD severity and frequency were not were correlated with cfPWV. For hypotensive events, both the frequency (r = 0.412, P = 0.04) and severity (Δsystolic BP; r = -0.425, P = 0.03) of these events were correlated with cfPWV. The combined total of AD and hypotensive events (9 (5) events/day) was also correlated with cfPWV (r = 0.480, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hypotensive events, and the combined frequency of both hypo- and hypertensive events within a 24-hr period are associated with increased arterial stiffness in individuals with T6 and above SCI, suggesting BP instability may play a role in arterial stiffening post SCI.

Osteoarthritis-Related Walking Disability and Arterial Stiffness: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) in a population-based cohort of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) with that in matched peers from the general population, and to explore the associations between walking ability and risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the OA cohort. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included individuals (ages 40-80 years) who had self-reported OA (n = 500) in a previous population-based study and age- and sex-matched peers from the general population (n = 235). Clinical examinations of the patients with OA included classification according to the American College of Rheumatology criteria, blood sampling, and measuring arterial stiffness (PWV; pulse wave velocity). Group differences in the 6MWD were calculated with t-tests. The association between walking ability and CVD risk in the OA cohort was examined using multivariate regression models. RESULTS: In the age-stratified analyses, the largest mean difference in the 6MWD was observed in the youngest age groups (40-49 years); female patients in the OA group walked 84.6 fewer meters compared with the reference group (579.4 meters and 663.9 meters, respectively; P < 0.001), and male patients walked 88.3 fewer meters compared with the reference group (619.9 meters and 708.3 meters, respectively; P = 0.001). In the OA group, the 6MWD was significantly associated with PWV in the adjusted analysis (P = 0.001); an increase in the walking distance of 100 meters corresponded to a reduction in PWV of 0.3 meters/second. CONCLUSION: Even at age 40 years, patients with OA had a significantly shorter mean walking distance compared with their matched peers, underlining the importance of an early clinical approach to OA. Furthermore, in the OA group, the 6MWD was significantly associated with arterial stiffness, suggesting that walking ability is important for the CVD risk profile in patients with OA.

Aortic Stiffness is Associated with Increased Risk of Incident Dementia in Older Adults.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors, including age, hypertension, and diabetes, contribute to aortic stiffness and subclinical cardiovascular and brain disease, increasing dementia risk. Aortic stiffness, measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), reduces the buffering of pulsatile blood flow, exposing cerebral small arteries to microvascular damage. High cfPWV is related to white matter hyperintensities and brain amyloid deposition, and to cognitive decline, but it is unclear whether cfPWV independently predicts incident dementia. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that cfPWV predicts incident dementia in older adults, independent of potential confounders. The Cardiovascular Health Study Cognition Study followed 532 non-demented older adults with annual cognitive exams from 1998-99 through 2013. CfPWV was measured on 356 (mean age = 78, 59% women) between 1996-2000. Over 15 years, 212 (59.6%) developed dementia (median time from cfPWV measurement = 4 years). In age and sex-adjusted Cox models, cfPWV was significantly associated with increased risk of dementia, but systolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure were not. CfPWV (transformed as - 1/cfPWV) remained significantly associated with dementia risk when further adjusted for education, race, APOEɛ4, diabetes, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, and anti-hypertensive medication (hazard ratio = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.02, 2.51). Results were similar when further adjusted for baseline global cognition, subclinical brain measures, and coronary artery calcification. Finally, higher cfPWV was related to lower physical activity intensity and higher systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and waist circumference measured 5 years prior. An important unanswered question is whether interventions to slow arterial stiffening can reduce the risk of dementia.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between serum uric acid and endothelial function in subjects with treated hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: The endothelial dysfunction-arterial stiffness-atherosclerosis continuum plays an important pathophysiological role in hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross-sectional association between serum uric acid (SUA) and vascular markers related to this continuum, and to assess the longitudinal association between SUA and endothelial function that represents the initial step of the continuum. METHODS: We evaluated the baseline associations between SUA levels and vascular markers that included flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and common carotid artery intima-media thickness (CCA-IMT) in 648 subjects receiving antihypertensive treatment. The longitudinal association between baseline SUA levels and FMD measured at 1.5 and 3 yr of follow-up was also investigated. RESULTS: At baseline, modest, but significant correlations were observed between SUA and FMD in females (r = -0.171), baPWV in males with SUA >368.78 µmol/L (r = -0.122) and in females with a SUA level ≤ 362.83 µmol/L (r = 0.217), mean CCA-IMT in females with a SUA level ≤ 333.09 µmol/L (r = 0.139), and max CCA-IMT in females with SUA level ≤ 333.09 µmol/L (r = 0.138). A longitudinal association between SUA and FMD was less observed in males. In females, the baseline SUA was associated significantly with FMD values at 1.5 yr (r = -0.211), and SUA levels >237.92 µmol/L were associated significantly and independently with FMD values at 3 yr (r = -0.166). CONCLUSIONS: Lower SUA levels were associated with better vascular markers of the continuum, especially in females. Furthermore, we observed a longitudinal association between SUA and endothelial function, suggesting SUA level may be a potential marker of the continuum in hypertension.

LDL-oxidation, serum uric acid, kidney function and pulse-wave velocity: Data from the Brisighella Heart Study cohort.

BACKGROUND: Serum uric acid (SUA) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL) may be associated with arterial aging. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between SUA, oxLDL and arterial stiffness in subjects with normal renal function and in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. METHODS: From the database of the 2012 Brisighella Heart Study, we compared age-matched adult, non-smoker subjects without cardiovascular disease and with normal renal function (n = 205), subjects with stage II chronic kidney disease (CKD) (n = 118) and subjects with stage III CKD (n = 94). All subjects underwent a determination of the LDL oxidative susceptibility, oxLDL levels, SUA and Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV). RESULTS: By univariate analysis, PWV correlated with a large number of clinical, haemodynamic and metabolic parameters, including estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in subjects with normal renal function and in those with stage II or III CKD. Stepwise multiple regression analyses showed that in the presence of normal renal function or stage II CKD, the main predictors of PWV were age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), ox-LDL, apolipoprotein B and SUA (p < 0.05), while in the presence of stage III CKD only age, SBP and apolipoprotein B remained significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both ox-LDL and SUA independently predicts PWV only in subjects with normal or mildly reduced renal function, but not in the subjects with more compromised eGFR. This study confirms the complex relationship of SUA with cardiovascular and metabolic disease in the patient with established renal disease.

Increased circulating bioactive C-type natriuretic peptide is associated with reduced heart rate variability in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is a member of the natriuretic peptide family and have been implicated to be involved in maintaining vascular homeostasis and acting as a cardiac chronotropic agent in experimental studies. However, clinical evidence of its participation in cardiovascular regulation is lacking, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to explore the association of circulating CNP with cardiovascular alterations in CKD. METHODS: Seventy-six subjects with CKD were recruited. Plasma CNP-22, the bioactive form of CNP in the circulation, was measured by an enzyme immunoassay. The patients also underwent several cardiovascular evaluations including measurement of blood pressure, endothelial function, heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse wave velocity. RESULTS: Mean (±standard deviation) age of the patients were 59.9 (±14.9) years and 56.6% were male. Average plasma CNP level was 790.8 ± 309.1 pg/ml. Plasma CNP level was not increased as estimated glomerular filtration rate declined. There was no significant difference of CNP between patients with or without endothelial dysfunction (with vs. without endothelial dysfunction: 844.6 ± 365.5 pg/ml vs. 738.3 ± 231.8 pg/ml, p = 0.14). Plasma CNP showed no association with blood pressure or pulse wave velocity, but was negatively associated with time-domain HRV parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, Triangular Index). The association of CNP with HRV persisted after adjustment for potential covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Our data highlights a possible link between circulating CNP and autonomic dysfunction in CKD patients. Further studies are warranted to explore the mechanisms underlying this association, as well as evaluate the ability of circulating CNP in predicting adverse cardiovascular event in CKD patients.

A caffeine containing weight loss supplement augments hemodynamic responses after exercise.

BACKGROUND: Since the effects of supplements can be potentially harmful and/or ineffective to obtain desired positive benefits, there is a need to investigate supplementation to understand the responses of physiological systems, to educate consumers, and to provide feedback for businesses creating these supplements. The purpose of the current study was to test hemodynamic responses of a weight loss supplement and determine its effects on hemodynamic variables. METHODS: 31 participants underwent a randomized, double-blind, crossover study design and received a placebo or supplement on two separate days. Baseline measures of all variables were assessed prior to exercise. During exercise, each participant performed treadmill running at 80% VO2PEAK until volitional fatigue. Immediately post-exercise, hemodynamic measures were recorded at multiple time points. RESULTS: There was a significant condition∗time interaction with the supplement having a higher PWV for the carotid to femoral segment (p=0.004). There were also significant condition∗time interactions for heart rate (p=0.001). Large arterial elasticity was significantly lower for the supplement (p=0.005). Systolic blood pressure was conditionally higher (p=0.001), as was diastolic blood pressure (p=0.003) and mean arterial pressure (p=0.003). Vascular resistance was conditionally higher for the supplement (p=0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Ingredients in the supplement caused multiple negative effects within hemodynamics and were ineffective at increasing running time.

Artificial Intelligence Estimation of Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity using Carotid Waveform.

In this article, we offer an artificial intelligence method to estimate the carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) non-invasively from one uncalibrated carotid waveform measured by tonometry and few routine clinical variables. Since the signal processing inputs to this machine learning algorithm are sensor agnostic, the presented method can accompany any medical instrument that provides a calibrated or uncalibrated carotid pressure waveform. Our results show that, for an unseen hold back test set population in the age range of 20 to 69, our model can estimate PWV with a Root-Mean-Square Error (RMSE) of 1.12 m/sec compared to the reference method. The results convey the fact that this model is a reliable surrogate of PWV. Our study also showed that estimated PWV was significantly associated with an increased risk of CVDs.

Longitudinal association among endothelial function, arterial stiffness and subclinical organ damage in hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the longitudinal mutual association between endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, and also to determine which of the two variables was more closely associated with the progression of subclinical organ damage. METHODS: The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), estimated glomerular filtration rate, microalbuminuria and flow-mediated vasodilatation of the brachial artery (FMD) were measured three times at 1.5-year intervals in 674 Japanese patients receiving antihypertensive treatment. RESULTS: The change of the baPWV during the study period was larger in the subjects with baseline FMD values in the lowest tertile as compared to those with baseline FMD values in the highest tertile. The change of the CIMT was smaller in the subjects with baseline baPWV values in the lowest tertile than in those with baseline baPWV values in the highest tertile. After the adjustment, the FMD value at the baseline was inversely associated with the baPWV at the end of the study period (beta=-0.07, p=0.01), although, the reverse association was not significant. The baPWV, but not the FMD value, at the baseline was associated with the CIMT (beta=0.06, p=0.04) measured at the end of the study period. CONCLUSIONS: In hypertension, endothelial dysfunction was associated with the progression of arterial stiffness, although the reverse association was not confirmed. The increased arterial stiffness rather than endothelial dysfunction may be more closely associated with the progression of atherosclerotic vascular damage, and the endothelial dysfunction-arterial stiffness-atherosclerosis continuum may be important in hypertension.

Childhood thyroid function, body composition and cardiovascular function.

OBJECTIVE: The cardiovascular system is a known target for thyroid hormone. Early-life cardiovascular alterations may lead to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease in adulthood. Little is known about the effects of thyroid hormone on cardiovascular function during childhood, including the role of body composition in this association. DESIGN: Population-based prospective cohort of children (n = 4251, median age 6 years, 95% range: 5.7-8.0 years). METHODS: Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) concentrations were measured to assess thyroid function. Left ventricular (LV) mass was assessed with echocardiography. Arterial stiffness was assessed with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) was measured. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. RESULTS: FT4 was inversely associated with LV mass (P = 0.002), and with lean body mass (P < 0.0001). The association of FT4 with LV mass was partially mediated through variability in lean body mass (55% mediated effect). TSH was inversely associated with LV mass (P = 0.010), predominantly in boys. TSH was positively associated with systolic and diastolic BP (both P < 0.001). FT4 was positively associated with CFPWV and diastolic BP (P < 0.0001, P = 0.008, respectively), and the latter association attenuated after adjustment for CFPWV. CONCLUSIONS: At the age of 6 years, higher FT4 is associated with lower LV mass (partially through effects on lean body mass) and with higher arterial stiffness, which may lead to higher BP. Our data also suggest different mechanisms via which TSH and FT4 are associated with cardiovascular function during early childhood.

Pulse transit time changes in subjects exhibiting sleep disordered breathing.

INTRODUCTION: Pulse Transit Time (PTT) represents a non-invasive marker of sleep fragmentation in OSAS. Little is known regarding PTT in sleepy subjects exhibiting nocturnal Inspiratory Flow Limitation (IFL) in the absence of apneas or desaturation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The IFL cohort was gender and age matched to subjects with OSAS and a cohort where Sleep Disordered Breathing (SBD)/IFL was absent ("Non Flow Limited" or NFL cohort); PTT Arousal index (PTT Ar) defined by number of PTT arousals per hour. RESULTS: 20 subjects meeting criteria for the IFL cohort were aged and gender matched with OSAS and "NFL" subjects. Females comprised 65% of the IFL cohort; the mean BMI of the IFL cohort was significantly higher than the NFL cohort (34.25 v 28.90; p = 0.016) but not when compared to the OSAS cohort (34.25 v 36.31; p = 0.30). The PTT Ar in the IFL cohort (33.67 h) was significantly higher than the NFL cohort (23.89 h) but significantly lower than the OSAS cohort (55.21 h; F = 8.76; p < 0.001). PTT Ar was found to positively correlate with AHI (CC = 0.46; p < 0.001), ODI (CC = 0.47; p < 0.001) and RDI (CC = 0.49; p < 0.001). Within the IFL cohort, PTT Ar positively correlated with age (CC = 0.501; p = 0.024) but not gender and BMI. CONCLUSION: The PTT Arousal Index increased proportionately with severity of SDB with significantly higher markers of arousal in sleepy subjects exhibiting nocturnal IFL when compared to controls. Subjects exhibiting IFL were predominantly female with an elevated BMI. IFL may thus represent a significant pathogenic entity in the development of daytime sleepiness.

Effects of Obesity and Hypertension on Pulse Wave Velocity in Children.

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a biomarker of arterial stiffness. Findings from prior studies are conflicting regarding the impact of obesity on PWV in children. The authors measured carotid-femoral PWV in 159 children aged 4 to 18 years, of whom 95 were healthy, 25 were obese, 15 had hypertension (HTN), and 24 were both obese and hypertensive. Mean PWV increased with age but did not differ by race or sex. In adjusted analyses in children 10 years and older (n=102), PWV was significantly higher in children with hypertension (PWV±standard deviation, 4.9±0.7 m/s), obesity (5.0±0.9 m/s), and combined obesity-hypertension (5.2±0.6 m/s) vs healthy children (4.3±0.7 m/s) (each group, P<.001 vs control). In our study, obesity and HTN both significantly and independently increased PWV, while African American children did not have a higher PWV than Caucasian children.

La velocidad de la onda del pulso en la prevención cardiovascular / Pulse wave velocity on cardiovascular disease prevention

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Comprehensive assessment of vascular health in patients; towards endothelium-guided therapy.

Endothelial function has diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic significance. A number of non-invasive techniques were introduced for its assessment, including flow-mediated dilation (FMD), finger plethysmography (RH-PAT) and digital thermal monitoring (DTM). All these methods can be performed simultaneously. In addition, various methods for measuring arterial wall stiffness are available such as: pulse wave analysis (PWA), pulse wave velocity (PWV), pulse contour analysis (PCA) and carotid wall distensibility coefficient (DC). Finally, carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and ankle brachial index (ABI) are used as surrogate read-outs of atherosclerosis. Here, we briefly describe the advantages, limitations and interrelationships of various methods used for the assessment of endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and present the concept of an integrated evaluation of vascular health based on multiple methods. This strategy may be useful to stratify cardiovascular risk and represents a step towards multiparametric assessment of endothelium for effective endothelium-guided therapy in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Clinical Use of Pulse Wave Analysis: Proceedings From a Symposium Sponsored by North American Artery.

The use of pulse wave analysis may guide the provider in making choices about blood pressure treatment in prehypertensive or hypertensive patients. However, there is little clinical guidance on how to interpret and use pulse wave analysis data in the management of these patients. A panel of clinical researchers and clinicians who study and clinically use pulse wave analysis was assembled to discuss strategies for using pulse wave analysis in the clinical encounter. This manuscript presents an approach to the clinical application of pulse waveform analysis, how to interpret central pressure waveforms, and how to use existing knowledge about the pharmacodynamic effect of antihypertensive drug classes in combination with brachial and central pressure profiles in clinical practice. The discussion was supplemented by case-based examples provided by panel members, which the authors hope will provoke discussion on how to understand and incorporate pulse wave analysis into clinical practice.

Aortic surgery is one of the risk factors for enhancement of pressure wave reflection in adult patients with congenital heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Excessive aortic pressure wave reflection is one of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. In some clinical course of congenital heart diseases, the elevated pressure wave reflection has been reported. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the risk factors of the enhanced pressure wave reflection in adult patients with congenital heart disease. METHODS: We enrolled 99 adult (≥20 years) patients with congenital heart disease. We measured their radial pressure augmentation index and examined the relationship between it and various clinical variables. RESULTS: The radial pressure augmentation index was 77.1 ± 19.1% and it had a significant correlation with the history of aorto-pulmonary shunt (t=4.194; p<0.0001), age (t=4.091; p<0.0001), height (t=-3.580; p=0.001) and the history of direct aortic surgery (t=2.253; p=0.027). Forty-four patients (44.4%) demonstrated high radial augmentation index (>1SD of age- and gender matched control) and the determinants of the elevated radial augmentation index were the history of aorto-pulmonary shunt (odds ratio, 21.32; 95% confidence interval, 5.47-83.14; p<0.0001) and the direct aortic surgery (4.18; 1.38-12.72; p=0.012). CONCLUSIONS: The history of aortic surgeries enhances aortic pressure wave reflection in adult patients with congenital heart disease. The enhanced aortic pressure wave reflection is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, the adult patients with congenital heart disease after aortic surgeries should be carefully observed and tightly controlled concerning the risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Monitorización hemodinámica con sistema de onda de pulso durante la cirugía del feocromocitoma / Haemodynamic monitoring with a pulse-wave system during phaeochromocytoma surgery

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