Aim: Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) is the gold standard measure of arterial stiffness and a stronger predictor of poor outcomes for cardiovascular events. Pulse wave velocity is closely related to blood pressure, but its effect on office hypertension (OHT) is unclear. The study aims to investigate the relationship between OHT and cf-PWV.
Materials and methods:This was a prospective, singlecenter, clinical trial. A total of 102 subjects were included in the study: 48 patients with OHT and 54 subjects with normal blood pressure. Clinical risk factors and biochemical parameters were noted. Subjects underwent an assessment of cf-PWV by the validated tonometric system (SphygmoCor). The healthy group and the OHT group were compared.Results: Demographic and clinical parameters did not differ between groups. However, cf-PWV values were higher in the OHT group compared to healthy subjects. (9.0 ± 1.7 m/s vs. 7.9 ± 1.8 m/s, p = 0.002). The cf-PWV was correlated with systolic blood pressure, (r = 0.310, p = 0.002), and found as an independent predictor of OHT. ROC analysis identified that PWV levels had moderate sensitivity and specificity for predicting OHT.
Conclusion:The patients with OHT have higher cf-PWV values compared to healthy subjects. Pulse wave velocity plays a role in the pathophysiology of OHT, and is an independent predictor of it.