Impaired artery elasticity predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality- A longitudinal study in the Vara-Skövde Cohort.

It is still debated whether arterial elasticity provides prognostic information for cardiovascular risk beyond blood pressure measurements in a healthy population. To investigate the association between arterial elasticity obtained by radial artery pulse wave analysis and risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in men and women. In 2002-2005, 2362 individuals (men=1186, 50.2%) not taking antihypertensive medication were included. C2 (small artery elasticity) was measured using the HDI/Pulse Wave CR2000. Data on acute myocardial infarction or stroke, fatal or non-fatal, was obtained between 2002-2019. Cox- regression was used to investigate associations between C2 and future CVD, adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance), LDL- cholesterol, CRP (C-Reactive Protein), alcohol consumption, smoking and physical activity. At baseline, the mean age of 46 ± 10.6 years and over the follow-up period, we observed 108 events 70 events in men [event rate: 5.9%], 38 in women [event rate: 3.2%]. In the fully adjusted model, and for each quartile decrease in C2, there was a significant increase in the risk for incident CVD by 36%. (HR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.01-1.82, p = 0.041). The results were accentuated for all men (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.21-2.50, p = 0.003) and women over the age of 50 years (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.69-4.20). We showed a strong and independent association between C2 and CVD in men. In women after menopause, similar tendencies and effect sizes were observed.

Longitudinal association between leisure-time physical activity and vascular elasticity indices.

AIM: We investigated the association between levels of leisure-time physical activity and vascular stiffness in a longitudinal observational study from a representative Swedish population. METHOD: A total of 2816 randomly selected individuals were examined at visit 1 (2002-2005, Men = 1400). After a mean follow-up of 9.7 ± 1.4 years, a representative sample of 1327 of the original participants were re-examined at visit 2. After excluding subjects with hypertension at baseline, 761 participants were included in the longitudinal analyses. Leisure-time physical (LTPA) activity was self-reported and dichotomized as high or low (level 3, 4 and level 1, 2, respectively). Large Arterial Elasticity Index (LAEI) and Small Arterial Elasticity Index (SAEI) were measured using the HDI/Pulse Wave™ CR2000. Multivariable general linear models were used to investigate the differences in changes SAEI and LAEI based on LTPA levels. RESULTS: At visit 1, and after adjustment for possible confounders, participants in the high LTPA group had better small artery elasticity (SAEI) (SAEI in low-level LTPA: 7.89 ± 0.11, SAEI in high-level LTPA: 8.32 ± 0.15, ΔSAEI: 0.42, CI: 0.07-0.78; p = 0.020). SAEI decreased between the two assessments (Visit 1: SAEI 8.01 ± 3.37 ml/mmHg; Δ SAEI: 1.4, CI 1.2-1.6, p < 0.001). Participants with a higher LTPA at visit 1 had significantly better SAEI at visit 2 (ΔSAEI: 0.44, CI 0.03-0.85, p = 0.037). No significant associations were observed between LAEI and LTPA after adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: High LTPA predicted higher small arterial compliance at visit 2 suggesting that positive effects of LTPA on arterial elasticity persists over time.