Association of premature ventricular complexes with central aortic pressure indices and pulse wave velocity.
BACKGROUND
Although premature ventricular complex (PVC) occurs frequently, its predisposing factors have rarely been studied. We examined the connection between PVC and aortic stiffness.


METHODS
We recruited 200 consecutive patients (< 50 years, 95 men, mean age 36 +/- 10 years) who received a 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography examination for palpitation and PVC loads. Muscular artery pulse wave velocity (PWVm) and 4 main aortic pressure indices-augmented pressure, augmentation index (AI(x)), AI(x) corrected for a steady heart rate of 75 beat/min, and the extra workload-were measured, and atherosclerosis risk was evaluated.


RESULTS
Eighty-three (42%) patients had no PVC loads; 58 (29%) patients had low loads (< 24 beat/d), and 59 (29%) had high loads (> or = 24 beat/d). Only age and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with PVC loads. Using a multivariate logistic regression model adjusted for potential confounders, we found that AI(x) (odds ratio [OR] 1.88, 95% CI 1.20-2.91, P = .005); augmented pressure (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.02-2.43, P = .042); AI(x) corrected for a steady heart rate of 75 beat/min (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.82, P = .007); and PWVm (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.07-2.19, P = .021) were independent factors for PVC loads.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased central aortic pressure indices as well as PWVm were associated with increased PVC loads in young patients undergoing 24-hour ambulatory electrocardiography. Central aortic properties probably contributed to the occurrence of PVC.
Chen
Ju-Yi
JY
Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
Tsai
Wei-Chuan
WC
Lee
Yung-Ling
YL
Lee
Cheng-Han
CH
Tsai
Liang-Miin
LM
Chao
Ting-Hsing
TH
Li
Yi-Heng
YH
Chen
Jyh-Hong
JH
Lin
Li-Jen
LJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011674:Pulse; D017534:Radial Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018879:Ventricular Premature Complexes / Q000503:physiopathology*