title: Pulse wave velocity predicts mortality in renal transplant patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  measuring arterial stiffness using pulse wave velocity (PWV) has become an important tool to assess vascular function and cardiovascular mortality. For subject with hypertension, end-stage renal disease and diabetes, PWV has been shown to predict cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We hypothesize that PWV would also predict mortality in subjects who have undergone kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  a cohort of 330 patients with renal transplantation was studied with a mean age at entry 51.4 ± 0.75 years. Mean follow-up was 3.8 years (± 0.7 years); 16 deaths occurred during follow-up. At entry, together with standard clinical and biochemical parameters, PWV was determined from pressure tracing over carotid and femoral arteries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  with increasing PWV, there was a significant increase in age, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure. In addition, subjects with higher PWV also exhibited more frequently the presence of coronary heart disease. On the basis of Cox analyses, PWV and systolic blood pressure emerged as predictors of all-cause mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  these results provide evidence that PWV is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality in the population of renal transplant recipients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Essen, University Essen-Duisburg, Hufelandstrasse, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Opazo Saez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Witzke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kribben
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nürnberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000401:mortality* / Q000502:physiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011336:Probability; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013599:Systole