Pulse Wave Velocity Progression Determinants: No Significant Association with Novel Lipids Parameter.

INTRODUCTION

Whether novel lipid parameters are related to arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity-PWV), changes during follow-up (i.e ΔPWV) has never been evaluated.

AIM: To evaluate the relationship between standard and emerging lipid parameters (non-HDL/HDL, LDL/HDL, total cholesterol/HDL, TG/HDL, Log(TG)/HDL, Log(TG/HDL) and the triglyceride-glucose index [TyG]) and ΔPWV among hypertensive patients.

METHODS

We included 469 hypertensive patients enrolled from September 2006 to October 2010 from the Hypertension Unit of San Gerardo Hospital (Monza, Italy). PWV was measured at baseline and after a mean follow-up of 3.8 years (I-III quartiles 3.5-4.2 years) and the relative change (ΔPWV) was calculated.

RESULTS

The study cohort had a mean age of 53.6 ± 12.9 years and 58.4% were male. PWV significantly increased from baseline to follow-up (8.6 ± 2.1 vs. 9.2 ± 2.4 m/s; p=0.0001), with 51.6% of patients exhibiting a ΔPWV≥0.5 m/s. These patients had a significantly lower HDL cholesterol (51.5 ± 13.5 vs. 54.7 ± 13.3 mg/dL) with higher LDL/HDL ratio (2.5 ± 0.9 vs. 2.3 ± 0.9 p=0.049), non-HDL/HDL ratio (3.0 ± 1.1 vs. 2.8 ± 1.1), total cholesterol/HDL ratio (4.0 ± 1.1 vs. 3.8 ± 1.1), Log(TG)/HDL (0.043 ± 0.015 vs. 0.039 ± 0.014) and Log(TG/HDL) (0.351 ± 0.290 vs. 0.295 ± 0.278, p<0.05 for all comparison). A significant univariate association was found between ΔPWV and ΔPWV≥0.5 and Log(TG)/HDL (r = 0.121, p =  0.009 and r = 0.094, p =  0.042, respectively) but it didn't persist at multivariable analysis adjusted for age, sex, Δ systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive therapies and statins, diabetes, and glomerular filtration rate.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found no significant associations between emerging lipid parameters and PWV/ΔPWV. Age and blood pressure values remains the main determinants of PWV and its changes over time.