Aortic pulse wave velocity and the degree of atherosclerosis in the elderly: a pathological study based on 304 autopsy cases

Studies examining the correlation between aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and atherosclerosis have reported conflicting results. The present paper verifies this correlation by conducting autopsy examination of elderly subjects. Methods: A total of 3456 PWV examinations had been performed on 1538 elderly people, as a part of routine physical check-up. During long-term follow-up, many of these subjects died, and autopsy study could be conducted on 304 of these subjects. The average age at death of the subjects was 83 years and the male: female ratio was 6:5. The pathological atherosclerotic index (PAI) was defined as the average pathological degree of atherosclerosis in eight large arteries, including aorta. Results: Significant positive correlations were observed between the age and PWV (γ = 0.273, P < 0.001), and between the systolic blood pressure and PWV (γ = 0.478, P < 0.001). There was a significantly positive correlation between the aortic atherosclerotic degree and mean PWV (ρ = 0.239, P < 0.005), and between the PAI and mean PWV (γ = 0.323, P < 0.001). The partial regression coefficient between the PAI and mean PWV was 0.209, after adjusting for the mean systolic blood pressure and age at death. Conclusion: The present study proved a weak correlation between the PWV and the pathologically verified degree of the aortic and systemic atherosclerosis.