Arterial pulse wave velocity in relation to carotid intima-media thickness, brachial flow-mediated dilation and carotid artery distensibility: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and the Health 2000 Survey

Koivistoinen, Teemu; Virtanen, Marko; Hutri-Kähönen, Nina; Lehtimäki, Terho; Jula, Antti; Juonala, Markus; Moilanen, Leena; Aatola, Heikki; Hyttinen, Jari; Viikari, Jorma S.A.; Raitakari, Olli T.; Kähönen, Mika

doi:10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2011.08.007

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Volume 220, Issue 2 , Pages 387-393, February 2012

Arterial pulse wave velocity in relation to carotid intima-media thickness, brachial flow-mediated dilation and carotid artery distensibility: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study and the Health 2000 Survey

Teemu Koivistoinen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +358 3 3116 5394; fax: +358 3 311 65511.
Marko Virtanen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland
Nina Hutri-Kähönen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
Terho Lehtimäki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
Antti Jula
- Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Turku, Finland
Markus Juonala
- Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
Leena Moilanen
- Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
Heikki Aatola
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland
Jari Hyttinen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland
Jorma S.A. Viikari
- Department of Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
Olli T. Raitakari
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Research Centre of Applied and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
Mika Kähönen
- Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, FI-33521, Tampere, Finland

Received 23 March 2011; received in revised form 11 July 2011; accepted 1 August 2011. published online 26 August 2011.

Abstract

Objective

Increased arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. The data regarding the relationships between PWV and other indices of vascular damage is limited and partly controversial. We conducted the present study to examine PWV in relation to non-invasive measures of early atherosclerosis (brachial flow-mediated dilation [FMD], carotid intima-media thickness [IMT]) and local arterial stiffness (carotid artery distensibility [Cdist]).

Methods

The study population consisted of 1754 young adults (aged 30–45 years, 45.5% males) participating in the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS), and of 336 older adults (aged 46–76 years, 43.2% males) participating in the Health 2000 Survey. FMD was measured only in the YFS cohort. FMD, IMT and Cdist were assessed by ultrasound, and PWV was measured using the whole-body impedance cardiography device.

Results

In young adults, FMD and IMT were not associated with PWV independently of cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover, FMD status was not found to modulate the association between cardiovascular risk factors and PWV. In older adults, PWV and IMT were directly and independently associated (β=1.233, p=0.019). In both cohorts, PWV was inversely related with Cdist, and this relation remained significant (p<0.04) in models adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors.

Conclusions

The current findings suggest that PWV reflects a different aspect of vascular damage than FMD or IMT in young adults, whereas in older adults the information provided by PWV and IMT may be, to some extent, similar as regards subclinical vascular damage. The present observations also suggest that PWV and Cdist represent, at least in part, a similar adverse vascular wall process.

Keywords: Arterial stiffness, Atherosclerosis, Carotid artery, Endothelium