title: Influence of sex on the relation between heart rate and aortic stiffness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart rate and aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) are both cardiovascular risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of sex on the heart rate-PWV relationship in two populations of normotensive and hypertensive men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a first study, steady-state data describing the heart rate-PWV relationship were determined in 558 normotensive men, 308 normotensive women, 323 hypertensive men and 93 hypertensive women. In a second study, the changes in blood pressure and PWV under atrial pacing at 60, 80 and 100 beats/min were investigated in 15 men and 15 women who were either normotensive or hypertensive.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In women in study 1, 26.8% of PWV variance in normotensive patients and 15.4% of PWV variance in hypertensive patients was explained by a multiple regression including only age and systolic blood pressure as covariates. In men in study 1, 27% of PWV variance in normotensive patients and 28.5% of PWV variance in hypertensive patients was explained by a multiple regression including age, systolic blood pressure, weight, and also heart rate, as covariates. In study 2, atrial pacing in the overall population tended to decrease mean blood pressure (P = 0.05) and increase pulse pressure (P = 0.003), with no substantial change in PWV. However, when heart rate increased, PWV tended to decrease in women and to increase in men (interaction: P = 0.07).CONCLUSION Accelerated heart rate influences PWV in both normotensive and hypertensive men and, through this mechanism, could influence cardiovascular risk. However, heart rate does not influence PWV in women.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France.
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albaladejo
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pannier
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Achimastos
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safar
authors.forename: Athanase
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benetos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics