Associations between cardiovascular risk factors and diseases with aortic pulse wave velocity and aortic distensibility: magnetic resonance imaging in the Hamburg city health study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background The role of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-imaging-based pulse wave velocity (PWV) and aortic distensibility (AD) in population-based cohorts as a risk stratification tool remains unclear. The purpose of this study was the CMR-based quantification of PWV and AD in the context of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) and/or diseases (CVD) in the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS). Methods The HCHS is a prospective, population-based cohort study. 2D-phase-contrast-flow CMR measurements were performed to quantify PWV and AD in the ascending (AD AoAsc) and descending aorta (AD AoDesc). Results The CMR cohort consisted of 2270 participants (41.5% females, median age 66.5 years). PWV was 5.80 [4.91, 7.19] m/s, AD AoAsc 0.54 [0.34, 0.78] [1/(10^3*kPa)], and AD AoDesc 0.61 [0.39, 0.84] [1/(10^3*kPa)] in participants without any CVRF and/or CVD. In participants with at least one CVRF and/or CVD PWV was significantly higher, AD AoAsc and AD AoDesc significantly lower. After adjustment for age and sex, PWV was significantly associated with smoking (OR 1.05), CAD (OR 0.932), and hypertension (OR 1.118); AD AoAsc with hypertension (OR 0.448); and AD AoDesc with hypertension (OR 0.343), BMI > 30 kg/m 2 (OR 0.575), CAD (OR 2.17), and history of myocardial infarction (OR 2.413). Conclusions The presence of CVRF and/or CVD is related to significantly higher PWV and lower AD values. However, hypertension is the only CVRF/CVD consistently associated with higher PWV and lower AD after adjustment for age and sex. Our findings do not indicate a predictive value of abnormal PWV and AD values for prevalent CAD and MI.
Source: Clinical Research in Cardiology
Authors: Katharina A. Riedl, Eleonora Di Carluccio, Markus Huellebrand, Anja Hennemuth, Maike Frye, Paula Kaufmann, Mariam Hazizi, Ersin Cavus, Jan N. Albrecht, Enver Tahir, Jennifer Erley, Martin Sinn, Bjoern P. Schoennagel, Gerhard Adam, Paulus Kirchhof, Stefan Blankenberg, Gunnar Lund, Andreas Ziegler, Kai Muellerleile
Institutions: University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, University of Birmingham, Universität Hamburg, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,190
Funders: Amgen, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Joachim Herz Stiftung, Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislaufforschung, British Heart Foundation, European Commission, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Fondation Leducq, Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung, Deutsche Stiftung für Herzforschung, Horizon 2020 Framework Programme, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
Awards: G137732709, G1602671910, DIGITAL, RISK-BASED SCREENING FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, G1882414713, Auswirkungen der auf Chromosom 4q25 lokalisierten Risikoregion für Vorhofflimmern und PITX2 für Metabolismus und Mitochondrienfunktion, G2526770940, SFB 1470: Mechanistische Charakterisierung von Herzinsuffizienz mit erhaltener Auswurffraktion durch tiefe Phänotypisierung Etablierung einer neuen Klassifizierung von HFpEF für gezielte TherapieAnsätze, G2844294282, Cellular and molecular drivers of cardiac fibrosis and remodelling in health and disease, Big Data 4 Better Hearts - Sofia ref.: 116074, G3687679133, An EU-Canada joint infrastructure for next-generation multi-Study Heart research, G4411418652, G4638203960, G4937468798, G5198112456, G5276883691, G5286450406, G5858538993, Accelerator Award, G6069208133, G6723475928, G6812303106, Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Early Detection Stroke Atrial Fibrillation, G7040426476, G7342744906, G8028637097, G8683526274, Defining clusters of patients with atrial fibrillation at risk of heart failure and death
OpenAlex ID: W7128372797