https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-025-02625-4
1Universitäres Herz- und Gefäßzentrum Hamburg Klinik für Kardiologie Hamburg, Deutschland; 2Cardio-CARE, Medizincampus Davos Davos, Schweiz; 3Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC) Institut für kardiovaskuläre Computer-assistierte Medizin Berlin, Deutschland; 4Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Institut für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin Hamburg, Deutschland; 5Universitäres Herz- und Gefäßzentrum Hamburg Allgemeine und Interventionelle Kardiologie Hamburg, Deutschland; 6Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin Hamburg, Deutschland; 7Kardiologische Praxis Orchideenstieg Hamburg, Deutschland
Background
Aortic stiffness (AS) can be quantified non-invasively CMR-based by aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and aortic distensibility (AD). This study evaluated associations of PWV and AD with age and sex in a large, population-based sample.
Methods
2D-phase-contrast-flow-measurements were performed at 3T CMR in the ascending and descending aorta in the Hamburg City Health Study (HCHS). PWV was quantified by the time-to-peak (PWV TTP), time-to-foot (PWV TTF), 50% (PWV 50%) and cross correlation (PWV XCorr) method, whereas AD was calculated by three different, recently proposed methods in the ascending (AD AoAsc) and descending aorta (AD AoDesc), analyzed by two blinded observers.
Results and Perspectives
The study population consisted of 2,270 participants (41.5% females, median age 66.5 [59.0, 72.0] years). PWV 50%, AD AoAsc and AD AoDesc according to Harloff et al. correlated significantly with age (r=0.564, p<0.001; r=-0.435, p<0.001; r=-0.404, p<0.001), but there were no significant associations with sex (p=0.978; p=0.247; p=0.216) (Figure 1).
Conclusion
Aortic stiffness measurements by CMR increased with age, but not with sex. Age needs to be considered as the major influencing factor for clinical interpretation of AS values.