Association between Pulse Wave Velocity and Coronary Artery Calcification in Japanese men.
OBJECTIVE
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a simple and valid clinical method for assessing arterial stiffness. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is an intermediate stage in the process leading to overt cardiovascular disease (CVD) and an established determinant of coronary artery disease. This study aimed to examine the association between PWV and CAC in a population-based sample of Japanese men.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study of 986 randomly selected men aged 40-79 years from Shiga, Japan. CVD-free participants were examined from 2006 to 2008. Brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) was measured using an automatic waveform analyzer. CAC was assessed using computed tomography. Agatston scores ≥ 10 were defined as the presence of CAC.


RESULTS
Prevalence of CAC progressively increased with rising levels of baPWV: 20.6%, 41.7%, 56.3%, and 66.7% across baPWV quartiles ＜ 1378, 1378-1563, 1564-1849, and ＞ 1849 cm/s (P ＜ 0.001 for trend). Associations remained significant after adjusting for age and other factors, including body mass index, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, drinking, smoking and exercise status, and the use of medication to treat hypertension, dyslipidemia and diabetes (P=0.042 for trend). The optimal cutoff level of baPWV to detect CAC was 1612 cm/s using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
Arterial stiffness as defined by an elevated baPWV is associated with an increased prevalence of CAC in a general population-based setting among Japanese men.
Department of Public Health, Shiga University of Medical Science.
Sayuki
S
Torii
Hisatomi
H
Arima
Takayoshi
T
Ohkubo
Akira
A
Fujiyoshi
Aya
A
Kadota
Naoyuki
N
Takashima
Sayaka
S
Kadowaki
Takashi
T
Hisamatsu
Yoshino
Y
Saito
Naoko
N
Miyagawa
Maryam
M
Zaid
Yoshitaka
Y
Murakami
Robert D
RD
Abbott
Minoru
M
Horie
Katsuyuki
K
Miura
Hirotsugu
H
Ueshima
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D055109:Ankle Brachial Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL