P37 Pulse Wave Velocity: Dependence on Contemporaneous and Historical Blood Pressure Components

Abstract

Background

Arterial stiffness as measured by PWV along the aorta is an important determinant of cardiovascular risk. PWV is known to be dependent on contemporaneous blood pressure (BP) but its dependence on long-term BP has not been established.

Methods

Subjects from Twins UK who had tonometric measures of carotid-femoral PWV with previous longitudinal measures of blood pressure (n = 2094) and, in a sub-sample, PWV (n = 956) were studied. Brachial artery pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were averaged over the period of longitudinal follow-up to obtain measures of historical PP and MAP (PPH and MAPH). The relationship of PWV to contemporaneous PP and MAP (PPC and MAPC) was compared with that to PPH and MAPH.

Results

The average duration of blood pressure measurement was 14.0 ± 4.3 years.PWV correlated strongly with PPC (r = 0.542, p < 0.001), PP_H (r = 0.474, p < 0.001), MAP_C (r = 0.462, p < 0.001) and MAP_H (r = 0.360, p < 0.001). In multiple regression analysis incorporating historical and contemporaneous values of PP and MAP as well as age and heart rate, PWV was significantly associated with PP_C, MAP_C and PP_H but not with MAP_H. In the sub-study in which historical values of PWV were available, PWV increased by 0.75 ± 1.42 m/s, over an average of 5.5 ± 1.7 years. The change in PWV was associated with MAP_C and with PP_H (β = 0.144, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These results are consistent with strong dependence of PWV on contemporaneous BP but also historical values of pulse pressure which may drive arterial stiffening.