Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Research Article
  • Open access
  • Published:

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity: Impact of different arterial path length measurements

Artery Research volume 4, pages 27–31 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

Carotidefemoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the most established index of arterial stiffness. Yet there is no consensus on the methodology in regard to the arterial path length measurements conducted on the body surface. Currently, it is not known to what extent the differences in the arterial path length measurements affect absolute PWV values.

Methods

Two hundred fifty apparently healthy adults (127 men and 123 women, 19e79 years) were studied. Carotidefemoral PWV was calculated using (1) the straight distance between carotid and femoral sites (PWVcar-fem), (2) the straight distance between suprasternal notch and femoral site minus carotid arterial length (PWV(ssn-fem)—(ssn-ecar)), (3) the straight distance between carotid and femoral sites minus carotid arterial length (PWV(car-fem)—(ssn-car)), and (4) the combined distance from suprasternal notch to the umbilicus and from the umbilicus to femoral site minus carotid arterial length (PWV(ssn-umb-fem)—(ssn-car)).

Results

All the calculated PWV were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.966–0.995). PWVs accounting for carotid arterial length were 16–31% lower than PWVcar-fem. PWVcar-fem value of 12 m/s corresponded to 8.3 m/s for PWV(ssn-fem)–(ssn-car), 10.0 m/s for PWV(car-fem)—(ssn-car), and 8.9 m/s for PWV(ssn-umb-fem)—(ssn-car).

Conclusion

Different body surface measurements used to estimate arterial path length would produce substantial variations in absolute PWV values.

References

  1. Rowe JW. Clinical consequences of age-related impairments in vascular compliance. Am J Cardiol 1987;60:68G–71G.

  2. Safar ME, London GM. Therapeutic studies and arterial stiffness in hypertension: recommendations of the European Society of Hypertension. The Clinical Committee of Arterial Structure and Function. Working Group on Vascular Structure and Function of the European Society of Hypertension. J Hypertens 2000;18: 1527–35.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Avolio AP, Chen SG, Wang RP, Zhang CL, Li MF, O’Rourke MF. Effects of aging on changing arterial compliance and left ventricular load in a northern Chinese urban community. Circulation 1983;68:50–8.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Avolio AP, Deng FQ, Li WQ, Luo YF, Huang ZD, Xing LF, et al. Effects of aging on arterial distensibility in populations with high and low prevalenceofhypertension: comparison between urban and rural communities in China. Circulation 1985;71:202–10.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Blacher J, Asmar R, Djane S, London GM, Safar ME. Aortic pulse wave velocity as a marker of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients. Hypertension 1999;33:1111–7.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Blacher J, Guerin AP, Pannier B, Marchais SJ, Safar ME, London GM. Impact of aortic stiffness on survival in end-stage renal disease. Circulation 1999;99:2434–9.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Laurent S, Boutouyrie P, Asmar R, Gautier I, Laloux B, Guize L, et al. Aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in hypertensive patients. Hypertension 2001;37:1236–41.

    Google Scholar 

  8. London GM, Blacher J, Pannier B, Guerin AP, Marchais SJ, Safar ME. Arterial wave reflections and survival in end-stage renal failure. Hypertension 2001;38:434–8.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Meaume S, Benetos A, Henry OF, Rudnichi A, Safar ME. Aortic pulse wave velocity predicts cardiovascular mortality in subjects >70 years of age. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2001; 21:2046–50.

  10. Mancia G, De Backer G, Dominiczak A, Cifkova R, Fagard R, Germano G, et al. 2007 Guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: the task force for the management of arterial hypertension of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) and of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). J Hypertens 2007;25:1105–87.

    Google Scholar 

  11. McEniery CM, Yasmin, Hall IR, Qasem A, Wilkinson IB, Cockcroft JR. Normal vascular aging: differential effects on wave reflection and aortic pulse wave velocity: the Anglo-Cardiff Collaborative Trial (ACCT). J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;46: 1753–60.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Mitchell GF, Parise H, Benjamin EJ, Larson MG, Keyes MJ, Vita JA, et al. Changes in arterial stiffness and wave reflection with advancing age in healthy men and women: the Framingham Heart Study. Hypertension 2004;43:1239–45.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Sutton-Tyrrell K, Mackey RH, Holubkov R, Vaitkevicius PV, Spurgeon HA, Lakatta EG. Measurement variation of aortic pulse wave velocity in the elderly. Am J Hypertens 2001;14: 463–8.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Rajzer MW, Wojciechowska W, Klocek M, Palka I, Brzozowska-Kiszka M, Kawecka-Jaszcz K. Comparison of aortic pulse wave velocity measured by three techniques: Complior, SphygmoCor and Arteriograph. J Hypertens 2008;26:2001–7.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Sugawara J, Hayashi K, Yokoi T, Cortez-Cooper MY, DeVan AE, Anton MA, et al. Brachialeankle pulse wave velocity: an index of central arterial stiffness? J Hum Hypertens 2005;19:401–6.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Sugawara J, Hayashi K, Yokoi T, Tanaka H. Age-associated elongation of the ascending aorta in adults. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2008;1:739–48.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Weber T, Ammer M, Rammer M, Adji A, O’Rourke MF, Wassertheurer S, et al. Noninvasive determination of carotide femoral pulse wave velocity depends critically on assessment of travel distance: a comparison with invasive measurement. J Hypertens 2009;27:1624–30.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Jun Sugawara & Hirofumi Tanaka

  2. Institute for Human Science and Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 6, 305-8566, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

    Jun Sugawara, Koichiro Hayashi & Takashi Yokoi

Authors
  1. Jun Sugawara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Koichiro Hayashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Takashi Yokoi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hirofumi Tanaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jun Sugawara.

Rights and permissions

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license https://doi.org/creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sugawara, J., Hayashi, K., Yokoi, T. et al. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity: Impact of different arterial path length measurements. Artery Res 4, 27–31 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2009.11.001

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2009.11.001

Key Words

Artery Research

ISSN: 1876-4401

Contact us