Sex and resting heart rate influence the relation between arterial stiffness and cardiac structure and function – insights from the general population

• DOI: 10.1038/s41371-025-01000-0
• Publication Date: 2025-03-07T16:33:32Z
• Authors: Anna Sista; Till Ittermann; Stefan Gross; Marcello R. P. Ma...; Keeron Stone; Lee Stoner; Nele Friedrich; Marcus Dörr; Martin Bahls
• Keywords: Resting Heart Rate

Arterial stiffness, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, can be measured using pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx). We studied sex-specific associations between carotid-femoral PWV (cfPWV), brachial-ankle (baPWV), aortic (aoPWV), (aoAIx), brachial (baAIx) AIx with echocardiographic parameters. Data of 1150 participants the Study Health in Pomerania (SHIP-Trend 1; 530 men; median age 53 years; inter quartile range (IQR) 44 to 64) were used. Echocardiography assessed common structural functional cardiac Vascular Explorer. Multivariable linear regression models applied. In men, higher brAIx was related greater right ventricular diameter (RV) (β 0.037; CI 0.003 0.148). A one m/s baPWV associated smaller RV -0.037; -0.168 -0.021) outflow tract (RVOT; β -0.029; -0.141 -0.026). aoAIx 0.028; 0.01 0.122) 0.029; 0.017 0.13) RVOT. women, aoPWV 0.025; 0.006 0.105) larger -0.031; -0.124 -0.001) inversely dimensions, while This suggests potentially relations structure function.