Total arterial compliance, estimated by a novel method, is better related to left ventricular mass compared to aortic pulse wave velocity: The SAFAR study

Aim: The investigation of the association between total arterial compliance (CT)—estimated by a novel technique—with left ventricular mass (LVM) and hypertrophy (LVH). Our hypothesis was that CT may be better related to LVM compared to the gold-standard regional aortic stiffness. Within the frame of the ongoing cross-sectional study “SAFAR,” 226 subjects with established hypertension or with suspected hypertension underwent blood pressure (BP) assessment, carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and echocardiographic measurement of LVM. LVM index (LVMI) was calculated by the ratio of LVM to body surface area. CT was estimated by a previously proposed and validated formula: CT = 36.7 /cf-PWV2 [ml/mmHg]. LVMI was related to age (r = 0.207, p = 0.002), systolic BP (r = 0.248, p < 0.001), diastolic BP (r = 0.139, p = 0.04), mean BP (r = 0.212, p = 0.002), pulse pressure (r = 0.212, p = 0.002), heart rate (r = −0.172, p = 0.011), cf-PWV (r = 0.268, p < 0.001), and CT (r = −0.317, p < 0.001). The highest correlation was observed for CT that was significantly stronger than the respective correlation of cf-PWV (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, CT was a stronger determinant, compared to cf-PWV, of LVMI and LVH. It remains to be further explored whether CT has also a superior prognostic value beyond and above local or regional (segmental) estimates of pulse wave velocity.