Reference pulse wave velocity values in a healthy, normotensive Turkish population

OBJECTIVE
Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is the primary determiner of arterial stiffness. In daily practice, the normal range of arterial stiffness is based on large multi-center studies conducted in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The goal of this study was to identify the reference values of brachial PWV in a healthy, normotensive Turkish population with no cardiovascular risk factors.

METHODS
This retrospective study involved healthy, adult Turkish participants from Ankara. A total of 353 consecutive, normotensive individuals were enrolled in the study between September 2017 and January 2018 according to strict inclusion criteria, Normal PWV and 95% confidence interval values were acquired for 353 patients (mean age: 55.03±15.38 years; range: 20–95 years) who were divided into 6 age groups.

RESULTS
The mean PWV was 7.75±1.89 m/s (range: 4.25– 15.90 m/s). The PWV had a positive linear correlation with age (r2=0.94; p=0.00). The PWV increased gradually by an average of 5% to 9% with each decade of life until the age of 50 years, after which the average PWV increased by 16%.

CONCLUSION
To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to define PWV reference values via brachial measurement in a healthy, normotensive Turkish population. These data provide important information for daily clinical practice in Turkey.