Familial tendency for hypertension is associated with increased vascular stiffness

Objective: Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death. New methods for early detection of hypertension and its consequences can reduce complications arising from uncontrolled hypertension. Pulse-wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, has been recognized as a valuable tool in assessing risk for cardiovascular complications, although its use in clinical practice is currently limited. Here we examine whether brachial--ankle PWV (baPWV) and femoral--ankle PWV (faPWV) are elevated in nonhypertensive volunteers, with and without a history of familial hypertension. Methods: Volunteers were recruited and questioned as to their medical background and family history. Participants were divided into two groups based on history of familial hypertension and were measured for baPWV and faPWV. Carotid--femoral PWV was computed from these measurements. Results: A total of 82 healthy nonhypertensive volunteers (mean age 31.4 ± 9.6) were recruited. Among the study cohort, 43.7% had a history of familial hypertension. There were no between-group differences in any other clinical or demographic characteristics. Both baPWV and faPWV were significantly elevated in volunteers with a history of familial hypertension (10.86 ± 1.69 vs. 9.68 ± 1.52 m/s, P 
Source: Journal of Hypertension - Category: Cardiology Tags: ORIGINAL PAPERS: Blood pressure epidemiology Source Type: research