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

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 PWV (baPWV), aortic PWV (aoPWV), aortic (aoAIx), and brachial (baAIx) AIx with echocardiographic parameters. Data of 1150 participants of the Study of 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 and functional cardiac parameters. PWV and AIx were measured using the Vascular Explorer. Multivariable linear regression models were applied. In men, a higher brAIx was related to a greater right ventricular diameter (RV) (β 0.037; CI 0.003 to 0.148). A one m/s higher baPWV was associated with a smaller RV (β -0.037; CI -0.168 to -0.021) and right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT; β -0.029; CI -0.141 to -0.026). In men, a higher aoAIx (β 0.028; CI 0.01 to 0.122) and brAIx (β 0.029; CI 0.017 to 0.13) were associated with a greater RVOT. In women, a one m/s higher aoPWV (β 0.025; CI 0.006 to 0.105) was associated with a larger RV and a one m/s higher baPWV (β -0.031; CI -0.124 to -0.001) was inversely related to RVOT. In women, PWV associated with right ventricular dimensions, while in men, baPWV and AIx were related to right ventricular parameters. This suggests potentially sex-specific relations between PWV and cardiac structure and function.