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Heritability of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in Swedish families

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 22, pages 298–300 (2008)Cite this article

We estimated the heritability of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) obtained from ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring, recently proposed as index of arterial stiffness, before and after adjustment for significant covariates in 260 healthy siblings from 118 Swedish families. Both AASI and 24-h pulse pressure, another raw index of arterial stiffness, resulted to be significantly heritable both before and after adjustment for classical covariates, suggesting that both those indices are partially under genetic control and can capture independent information on inherited factors that contribute to arterial stiffness.

Although the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) is not universally accepted as an index of arterial stiffness,1, 2 it was demonstrated to be highly correlated to pulse wave velocity, peripheral, central augmentation index, central pulse pressure (PP)3 and associated with cardiovascular morbidity and target organ damage also independently of PP and other cardiovascular risk factors.4 The aim of this study was to estimate the heritability of the AASI.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council, Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, Medical Faculty of Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Albert Påhlsson Research Foundation, Crafoord Foundation, Ernhold Lundströms Research Foundation, Region Skane, King Gustaf V and Queen Victoria Foundation, Lennart Hansson Memorial Fund and Mossfelt Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Sciences, University Hospital of Malmö, Lund University, Sweden

    C Fava, P Burri & O Melander

  2. Department of Biomedical and Surgical Sciences, University Hospital of Verona, Italy

    C Fava, M S Ricci & P Minuz

Authors
  1. C Fava
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  2. M S Ricci
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  3. P Burri
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  4. P Minuz
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  5. O Melander
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C Fava.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Human Hypertension website (http://www.nature.com/jhh)

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Fava, C., Ricci, M., Burri, P. et al. Heritability of the ambulatory arterial stiffness index in Swedish families. J Hum Hypertens 22, 298–300 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1002323

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