Determinants of Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity and Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity in Healthy Koreans

The aim of this study was to determine the normal value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) according to age group, gender, and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors in healthy Koreans, and to investigate the association between PWV and risk factors such as prehypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and obesity. We measured an arterial stiffness in 110 normal subjects who were 20 to 69 yr-old with no evidence of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular accident or diabetes mellitus. The mean values of baPWV and cfPWV were 12.6 (+/- 2.27) m/sec (13.1 +/- 1.85 in men, 12.1 +/- 2.51 in women; P = 0.019) and 8.70 (+/- 1.99) m/sec (9.34 +/- 2.13 in men, 8.15 +/- 1.69 in women; P = 0.001), respectively. The distribution of baPWV (P < 0.001) and cfPWV (P = 0.006) by age group and gender showed an increase in the mean value with age. Men had higher baPWV and cfPWV than women (P < 0.001). There was a difference in baPWV and cfPWV by age group on prehypertension, dyslipidemia, current smoking, or obesity (P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression, age and prehypertension were highly associated with baPWV and cfPWV after adjustment for confounding factors (P < 0.001). The present study showed that baPWV and cfPWV are associated with age, gender, and prehypertension in healthy Koreans.