Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity as an early indicator of left ventricular diastolic function among hypertensive subjects

Chao Ping Wang, Wei Chin Hung, Teng Hung Yu, Hui Ling Hsu, Yen Hsun Chen, Cheng An Chiu, Li Fen Lu, Fu Mei Chung, Ya Ai Cheng, Yau Jiunn Lee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

While increased arterial stiffness is a known risk of cardiovascular disease, pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a conventionally adopted index of arterial stiffness. However, the relationship between PWV and left ventricular functions are not thoroughly evaluated. This cross-sectional study investigated whether PWV measurement is an early indicator of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. A noninvasive, volume-plethysmographic apparatus was used to determine blood pressure, electrocardiogram, heart sounds, and PWV in 42 consecutively diagnosed subjects with hypertension, and 42 sex- and age-matched nonhypertension subjects were studied. Arterial stiffness and aortic stiffness were evaluated by brachial-ankle (b-a) PWV, heart-carotid (h-c) PWV, heart-femoral (h-f) PWV, carotid-femoral (c-f) PWV, and femoral-ankle (f-a) PWV. Function of LV was estimated by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) echocardiography. Hypertension subjects exhibited higher b-a PWV and late diastolic mitral flow velocity values than those of nonhypertensive subjects. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that LV diastolic function (Emav) negatively correlated with c-f PWV and b-a PWV. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that b-a PWV was independently and negatively associated with LV diastolic function (Emav). Further analysis by stratified hypertensive status, the b-a PWV were independently and negatively associated with Emav in hypertensive subjects (p = 0.004) only. In conclusion, the b-a PWV, but not c-f PWV, h-c PWV, h-f PWV, or f-a PWV, is significantly correlated with LV diastolic function in hypertensive subjects, indicating that b-a PWV involving both central and peripheral components of arterial stiffness may be an early indicator of LV dysfunction.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)31-43
Number of pages13
JournalClinical and Experimental Hypertension
Volume31
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2009

Keywords

  • Arterial stiffness
  • Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity
  • Hypertension
  • LV diastolic function
  • Tissue Doppler imaging

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Internal Medicine
  • Physiology

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