Predictors of aortic pulse wave velocity in the elderly with severe aortic stenosis

Predictors of aortic pulse wave velocity (AoPWV) were not previously studied in the elderly with severe aortic stenosis (AS). We aimed to compare the AoPWV in these patients with matched controls and to study the predictors of AoPWV in this population. We measured the AoPWV during cardiac catheterisation in 40 patients with severe AS and 20 matched controls. AoPWV in both groups was similar ( p = 0.198) and lied within normal reference value for age in 68 % of elderly with severe AS. Central systolic blood pressure (SBP) (adjusted β = 0.45, p = 0.001) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (adjusted β = −0.29, p = 0.023) were the only independent predictors of AoPWV in AS group. Central SBP >140 mmHg was the best predictor of abnormal AoPWV (≥14.6 m/s) with 100 % sensitivity and 70 % specificity, p < 0.001. Conclusion: AoPWV is not increased in the elderly with severe AS compared to controls, and lies within the reference value for age in the majority of these patients. Central SBP >140 mmHg best predicts abnormal AoPWV in the elderly with severe AS.