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(Hypertension. 2009;54:421.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Seventh International Workshop on Structure and Function of the Vascular System

Pulse Wave Velocity Assessment by External Noninvasive Devices and Phase-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Obese

Laure Joly; Christine Perret-Guillaume; Anna Kearney-Schwartz; Paolo Salvi; Damien Mandry; Pierre-Yves Marie; Gilles Karcher; Patrick Rossignol; Faiez Zannad; Athanase Benetos

From the Departments of Geriatric Medicine (L.J., C.P.-G., A.K.-S., P.S., A.B.), Nuclear Medicine (P.-Y.M., G.K.), and Radiology (D.M.), CHU-Nancy, Nancy; Nancy-Université (L.J., P.S., D.M., P.-Y.M., G.K., P.R., F.Z., A.B.), Nancy; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (L.J., P.S., P.-Y.M., P.R., F.Z., A.B.), U 961, Nancy; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (D.M.), U 947, Nancy; and the Clinical Investigation Centre (A.K.-S., P.R., F.Z.), CHU-Nancy, Hôpital Jeanne d'Arc, Toul, France.

Correspondence to Athanase Benetos, Centre de Gériatrie et Médecine Interne, CHU de Nancy, Rue du Morvan, 54511 Vandoeuvre les Nancy, France. E-mail a.benetos{at}chu-nancy.fr

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) is considered the gold-standard measurement of arterial stiffness. Obesity, however, can render inaccurate the measurement of PWV by external noninvasive devices. Phase-contrast MRI allows the determination of aortic PWV in multiple aortic locations with intra-arterial distance measurements, as well as the assessment of aortic mechanical properties. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of external carotid-femoral PWV values measured by well-validated external devices in comparison with MRI acquisitions of PWV and aortic mechanical properties in a population of obese subjects. PWV was measured with PulsePen and Complior II devices in 32 volunteers (18 men and 14 women), aged 46 to 65 years (mean: 55.7±5.1 years), presenting with isolated abdominal obesity, with a waist circumference >102 cm for men and >88 cm for women, and a body mass index between 27 and 35. These results were then compared with MRI PWV values and cross-sectional MRI thoracic aorta distensibility values. MRI PWV values were positively correlated with PWV measured by both PulsePen (r=0.47; P=0.005) and Complior (r=0.43; P=0.01). Aortic cross-sectional stiffness was positively correlated with PulsePen PWV (r=0.42; P=0.02). The same trend was also observed with Complior PWV (r=0.33; P=0.06). This is the first study comparing transcutaneous PWV measurements with MRI aortic elastic properties in obese subjects. Our results indicate that, for body mass index values 35 kg m^–2, PWV measured externally with Complior or PulsePen validly reflect values obtained directly in the thoracic aorta through MRI.

Key Words: arterial stiffness • pulse wave velocity • obesity • MRI • aortic distensibility

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