Effects of blood pressure and serum lipids on pulse wave velocity in hypertensive and normotensive individuals

Objective: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), an estimate measure of arterial stiffness, is an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. The present study aims to investigate the effects of blood pressure and serum lipids on pulse wave velocity in hypertensive and normotensive humans. Methods: We studied 178 hypertensive subjects (mean age 47.8±7 years, 48.9% males) and 182 normotensive subjects (mean age 48.3±7 years, 51.6% males). Blood pressure, values of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and uric acid were measured. Carotid-femoral PWV was assessed non-invasively. Results: There were no significant differences in TC, TG, UA and GLU between the two groups (respectively, P>0.05) after both age and sex were adjusted. Carotid-femoral PWV increased with age. The SBP, DBP, MBP and PP were significantly higher in hypertensives than that in normotensives (respectively, P<0.05). The hypertensives had higher pulse wave velocity than normotensives. A stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that in the hypertensive group age (P=0.000), systolic blood pressure (P=0.002), diastolic blood pressure (P=0.003), average arterial pressure (P=0.003), pulse pressure (P=0.003), TC (P=0.003), and TG (P=0.003) were significantly independent determinants of cfPWV. In the normotensive group, age (P=0.000), TC (P=0.003), and TG (P=0.003) were identified as independent determinants of cfPWV. Conclusion: These findings are supporting the current theory of relating blood pressure and lipids to the pathology of atherosclerosis, but the major effect factors for increased cfPWV are different under the different physiological conditions.