Pulse wave velocity on the risk stratification of aortic aneurysm

Introduction. The maintenance of tissue perfusion during the cardiac cycle is essential in organs with high metabolic demand, which is guaranteed by the maintenance of the physical properties of the arterial wall. When altered, there are hemodynamic repercussions that can be quantified using new methods, such as pulse wave velocity (PWV). These changes can occur in aortic aneurysms (AA), which have a high mortality rate associated with their rupture, making risk stratification and early intervention essential. Objectives. Demonstrate the relationship between PWV in risk stratification in patients with AA. Methods. Original articles from the Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences System (Lilacs) and PubMed Central (PMC) databases were included, which addressed the risk stratification of AA with the use of PWV in the human population. Studies published more than five years ago and those that did not address AA risk stratification based on PWV were excluded. Results and Discussion. Three articles were selected. An increase in PWV was observed in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) when compared to the control group (12.3 m/s x 10.9 m/s, p<0.01). Furthermore, the use of PWV is recommended in the risk stratification of all patients with AAA. Finally, the prediction of the use of PWV in the growth of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) stands out, as well as its increased sensitivity for females. Conclusions. PWV is an excellent marker for cardiovascular risk stratification in AA, easy to apply clinically and at low cost. However, some issues must be resolved for its application, such as the PWV value based on age and blood pressure variables.