Clinical utility of heart-carotid pulse wave velocity in healthy Japanese subjects

Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is established as a reliable parameter of arterial stiffening and predictor of cardiovascular disease. However, the clinical significance of regional heart-carotid pulse wave velocity (hcPWV) has not been proven. In the current study, hcPWV was compared with common carotid arterial (CCA) stiffness index beta (stiffness beta), an established marker measured by ultrasonography. CCA and femoral arterial (FA) stiffness beta, hcPWV, baPWV, and peripheral femoral-ankle pulse wave velocity (faPWV) were measured in 276 healthy Japanese subjects. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed a significant correlation between the CV of hcPWV and CCA stiffness beta (F = 79.65, P < 0.0001). hcPWV was significantly and positively correlated with CCA stiffness beta (r = 0.481, P < 0.0001), whereas faPWV showed a tendency for a positive correlation with FA stiffness beta (r = 0.118, P = 0.0584). However, only 69 (25%) of the subjects were within the 95% confidence line for CCA stiffness beta based on hcPWV. hcPWV and CCA stiffness beta were significantly and positively correlated with age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, total and LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride; while body mass index and LDL-cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio were only correlated with hcPWV. Among these parameters, SBP and total cholesterol were positive independent factors associated with hcPWV and CCA stiffness beta. Heart-carotid PWV can be used as a measure of arterial stiffening with similar reliability to CCA stiffness beta in healthy Japanese subjects, but for different underlying reasons.