¹Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Correspondence: Dr. Gerald S. Berenson, Tulane Center for Cardiovascular Health, 1440 Canal Street, Suite 1829, New Orleans, LA 70112 E-mail: berenson@tulane.edu

^*Supported by grants AG16592 from the National Institute on Aging, HL38844 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and HD43820 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Received 6 August 2004; Revised 19 November 2004; Accepted 22 November 2004.

Abstract

Background: Impaired arterial compliance is an independent predictor of early vascular damage and related adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcome. Information is scant on the distributions and correlates of measures of arterial pulsatile function in a community-based, biracial cohort of young adults.

Methods: In 800 African American and white subjects aged 18 to 44 years, pulsatile arterial function was assessed in terms of large artery (capacitive) compliance, small artery (oscillatory) compliance, systemic vascular resistance, and vascular impedance by noninvasive radial artery pressure pulse contour analysis.

Results: African Americans versus whites and women versus men had lower large and small artery compliances and higher systemic vascular resistance and vascular impedance (P < .001). In multiple regression analysis, mean arterial pressure, body mass index (BMI), insulin levels, and age were correlated inversely and body surface area positively with large artery compliance and accounted for 39.2% of the variance; mean arterial pressure, female gender, age, and triglyceride levels inversely and cardiac output positively with small artery compliance and explained 56.4% of the variance; mean arterial pressure and age positively and cardiac output inversely with systemic vascular resistance and accounted for 91.4% of variance; and mean arterial pressure and BMI positively and cardiac output and body surface area inversely with vascular impedance and contributed to 37.6% of the variance.

Conclusions: The observed deleterious impact of traditional CV risk factors on the arterial wall dynamics in asymptomatic young adults has important implications for preventive cardiology. Noninvasive pulsatile arterial function assessment may be helpful for evaluation of early vascular damage in a high-risk young population group.