Evaluation of non-invasive arterial stiffness parameters and their relationship with physical activity, anthropometric indices and lipid profiles in healthy middle-aged adults: results of the PERSIAN cohort study

Background: Arterial stiffness (AS) indicates the initial stage of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which associated with modifiable and lifestyle risk factors. We aimed to examine the association of AS with anthropometric indices, lipid profiles, and physical activity. Methods: 658 healthy middle-aged adults selected and anthropometric indices (body mass index (BMI), waist circumferences (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), neck circumferences (NC), a body shape index (ABSI), body roundness index (BRI), body-fat mass (BFM), visceral-fat, fat-free mass(FFM), lipid profiles, and PA were measured. Arterial Stiffness measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) and central augmentation index (cAIx). Results: Our results show, cf-PWV positively associated with TGs (β = 0.10, p = 0.01) and in anthropometric indices corelated with, WC (β = 0.11, p = 0.02), WHR (β = 0.09, p = 0.03), WHtR (β = 0.1, p = 0.02), and BRI (β = 0.09, p = 0.04). cAIx was independently positive association with cholesterol (β = 0.08, p = 0.03), WC (β = 0.1, p = 0.03), WHR (β = 0.09, p = 0.02), ABSI (β = 0.09, p = 0.01), BRI (β = 0.08, p = 0.05), visceral-fat area (β = 0.09, p = 0.03) and BFM (β = 0.08, p = 0.04) and negatively associated with PA (β = -0.08, p = 0.03). Conclusions: WC, WHR, and BRI were associated with both cf-PWV and cAIx. TGs and WHtR associated with cf-PWV, while cAIx was associated with ABSI, so improving these indices may be helpful to prevent CVD.