Dataset Information

Cross-sectional relations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, wave reflection, and arterial calcification.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Arterial hemodynamics and vascular calcification are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but their inter-relations remain unclear. We sought to examine the associations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, and wave reflection with arterial calcification in individuals free of prevalent cardiovascular disease. APPROACH AND RESULTS:Framingham Heart Study Third Generation and Offspring Cohort participants free of cardiovascular disease underwent applanation tonometry to measure arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, and wave reflection, including carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pulse pressure, forward wave amplitude, and augmentation index. Participants in each cohort (n=1905, 45±6 years and n=1015, 65±9 years, respectively) underwent multidetector computed tomography to assess the presence and quantity of thoracic aortic calcification, abdominal aortic calcification, and coronary artery calcification. In multivariable-adjusted models, both higher carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and central pulse pressure were associated with greater thoracic aortic calcification and abdominal aortic calcification, whereas higher augmentation index was associated with abdominal aortic calcification. Among the tonometry measures, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was the strongest correlate of all calcification measures in multivariable-adjusted models (odds ratio per SD for thoracic aortic calcification, 2.69 [95% confidence interval, 2.17-3.35]; abdominal aortic calcification, 1.47 [95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.73]; and coronary artery calcification, 1.48 [95% confidence interval, 1.28-1.72]; all P<0.001, respectively). We observed stronger relations of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, central pulse pressure, and forward wave amplitude with nearly all continuous calcification measures in the younger Third Generation Cohort as compared with the Offspring Cohort. CONCLUSIONS:In community-dwelling individuals without prevalent cardiovascular disease, abnormal central arterial hemodynamics were positively associated with vascular calcification and were observed at younger ages than previously recognized. The mechanisms of these associations may be bidirectional and deserve further study.

SUBMITTER: Tsao CW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4199901 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Cross-sectional relations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, wave reflection, and arterial calcification.

Tsao Connie W CW Pencina Karol M KM Massaro Joseph M JM Benjamin Emelia J EJ Levy Daniel D Vasan Ramachandran S RS Hoffmann Udo U O'Donnell Christopher J CJ Mitchell Gary F GF

Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology 20140828 11

<h4>Objective</h4>Arterial hemodynamics and vascular calcification are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, but their inter-relations remain unclear. We sought to examine the associations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, and wave reflection with arterial calcification in individuals free of prevalent cardiovascular disease.<h4>Approach and results</h4>Framingham Heart Study Third Generation and Offspring Cohort participants free of cardiovascular disease underwe ...[more]

PMID: 25169933

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Project description:Inflammation causes vascular dysfunction and perpetuates proatherosclerotic processes. We hypothesized that a broad panel of inflammatory biomarkers and single nucleotide polymorphisms in inflammatory genes is associated with vascular stiffness. We assessed 12 circulating inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, interleukin-6, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 [mass and activity], monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, myeloperoxidase, CD40 ligand, osteoprotegerin, P-selectin, and tumor necrosis factor receptor-II) in relation to tonometry variables (central pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, forward pressure wave, reflected pressure wave, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and augmentation index) measured in 2409 Framingham Heart Study participants (mean age: 60 years; 55% women; 13% ethnic/racial minorities). Single nucleotide polymorphisms (n=2195) in 240 inflammatory candidate genes were related to tonometry measures in 1036 white individuals. In multivariable analyses, biomarkers explained <1% of any tonometry measure variance. Applying backward elimination, markers related to tonometry (P<0.01) were as follows: tumor necrosis factor receptor-II (inversely) with mean arterial pressure; C-reactive protein (positively) and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 (inversely) with reflected pressure wave; and interleukin-6 and osteoprotegerin (positively) with carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. In genetic association analyses, lowest P values (false discovery rate <0.50) were observed for rs10509561 (FAS), P=6.6x10(-5) for central pulse pressure and rs11559271 (ITGB2), P=1.1x10(-4) for mean arterial pressure. These data demonstrate that, in a community-based sample, circulating inflammatory markers tumor necrosis factor receptor-II (mean arterial pressure), C-reactive protein, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase-A2 activity (reflected pressure wave), interleukin-6, and osteoprotegerin (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity) were significantly but modestly associated with measures of arterial stiffness and wave reflection. Additional studies are needed to determine whether variation in inflammatory marker genes is associated with tonometry measures.

Project description:Aortic stiffness increases with age and vascular risk factor exposure and is associated with increased risk for structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. High ambient flow and low impedance are thought to sensitize the cerebral microcirculation to harmful effects of excessive pressure and flow pulsatility. However, haemodynamic mechanisms contributing to structural brain lesions and cognitive impairment in the presence of high aortic stiffness remain unclear. We hypothesized that disproportionate stiffening of the proximal aorta as compared with the carotid arteries reduces wave reflection at this important interface and thereby facilitates transmission of excessive pulsatile energy into the cerebral microcirculation, leading to microvascular damage and impaired function. To assess this hypothesis, we evaluated carotid pressure and flow, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, brain magnetic resonance images and cognitive scores in participants in the community-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility--Reykjavik study who had no history of stroke, transient ischaemic attack or dementia (n = 668, 378 females, 69-93 years of age). Aortic characteristic impedance was assessed in a random subset (n = 422) and the reflection coefficient at the aorta-carotid interface was computed. Carotid flow pulsatility index was negatively related to the aorta-carotid reflection coefficient (R = -0.66, P<0.001). Carotid pulse pressure, pulsatility index and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were each associated with increased risk for silent subcortical infarcts (hazard ratios of 1.62-1.71 per standard deviation, P<0.002). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was associated with higher white matter hyperintensity volume (0.108 ± 0.045 SD/SD, P = 0.018). Pulsatility index was associated with lower whole brain (-0.127 ± 0.037 SD/SD, P<0.001), grey matter (-0.079 ± 0.038 SD/SD, P = 0.038) and white matter (-0.128 ± 0.039 SD/SD, P<0.001) volumes. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (-0.095 ± 0.043 SD/SD, P = 0.028) and carotid pulse pressure (-0.114 ± 0.045 SD/SD, P = 0.013) were associated with lower memory scores. Pulsatility index was associated with lower memory scores (-0.165 ± 0.039 SD/SD, P<0.001), slower processing speed (-0.118 ± 0.033 SD/SD, P<0.001) and worse performance on tests assessing executive function (-0.155 ± 0.041 SD/SD, P<0.001). When magnetic resonance imaging measures (grey and white matter volumes, white matter hyperintensity volumes and prevalent subcortical infarcts) were included in cognitive models, haemodynamic associations were attenuated or no longer significant, consistent with the hypothesis that increased aortic stiffness and excessive flow pulsatility damage the microcirculation, leading to quantifiable tissue damage and reduced cognitive performance. Marked stiffening of the aorta is associated with reduced wave reflection at the interface between carotid and aorta, transmission of excessive flow pulsatility into the brain, microvascular structural brain damage and lower scores in various cognitive domains.

Dataset Information

Cross-sectional relations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, wave reflection, and arterial calcification.

Publications

Cross-sectional relations of arterial stiffness, pressure pulsatility, wave reflection, and arterial calcification.

Similar Datasets

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