title: The association between arterial stiffness and left ventricular filling pressure in an apparently healthy Korean population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study is to investigate the association between arterial stiffness and left ventricular filling pressure in an apparently healthy Korean population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 115 healthy subjects without known cardiovascular risk factors or overt heart disease who underwent both transthoracic echocardiography and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) measurement at the same day during their routine check-ups were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of study subjects was 52.8 ± 8.4 years, and 78 (67.8%) were men. The mean baPWV value was 1,325 ± 185 cm/s. Study subjects were divided into 3 groups according to E/E' value: subjects with E/E' < 8, 8-12.9 and E/E' ≥ 13. As E/E' increased, baPWV value increased gradually: baPWV in subjects with E/E' < 8, E/E' 8-12.9 and E/E' ≥ 13, were 1,261 ± 163, 1,345 ± 169, 1,569 ± 232 cm/s, respectively (p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression analyses, baPWV was significantly associated with E/E' (β = 0.371, p < 0.001) after controlling confounders including age, sex and body mass index. In receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the sensitivity and specificity for detection of E/E' ≥ 10 were 78.6% and 59.8%, respectively with mean baPWV of 1,282 cm/s as the cut off value. The discriminatory capacity for predicting E/E' ≥ 10 was improved from an area under the ROC curve of 0.646 with age alone to 0.734 when baPWV was added (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant association between baPWV and E/E' in an apparently healthy Korean population. BaPWV is useful as a simple and non-invasive method for early detection of increased LV filling pressure among these people.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hack-Lyoung
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moon-Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Im
authors.forename: Jae-Bin
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Woo-Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Sang-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Myung-A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo-Hee
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zo
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001916:Brachial Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D012016:Reference Values; D017678:Sex Distribution; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*