Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the association between estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in patients with elevated blood pressure.
Methods This study was based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) covering 10 consecutive cycles from 1999 to 2018, including 4 816 patients with elevated blood pressure. First, based on the threshold determined by restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis, the study subjects was divided into a low ePWV group (ePWV≤8.054) and a high ePWV group (ePWV>8.054) using an ePWV cutoff of 8.054. Second, Kaplan-Meier survival curves, cumulative incidence function curves for competing risks, Cox proportional hazards models, competing risk models, and subgroup analyses were employed to investigate the association between ePWV and the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in patients with elevated blood pressure. Finally, external validation was performed using independent samples from the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database.
Results During the follow-up period, in the high ePWV group, the all-cause mortality rate was 15.4%, the cardiovascular mortality rate was 3.7%; and in the low ePWV group, the all-cause mortality rate was 2.8%, and the cardiovascular mortality rate was 0.5%. Intergroup comparisons showed that the mortality risk in the high ePWV group was significantly higher (all-cause mortality: χ2 = 158.407, P<0.001; cardiovascular mortality: χ2 = 42.999, P<0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risks were significantly higher in the high ePWV group (HR = 4.46, 95%CI: 2.94 to 6.67; HR = 5.68, 95%CI: 2.23 to 14.45, respectively). Considering non-cardiovascular death as a competing event, the Fine-Gray model showed that the subdistribution hazard ratio (sHR) for cardiovascular death in the high ePWV group was 5.48 (95%CI: 2.78 to 10.81). No significant interaction was observed in the subgroup analysis. Additionally, similar results were obtained from the CHARLS database.
Conclusions ePWV is significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with elevated blood pressure. It may serve as a valuable tool for prognostic assessment in this population, demonstrating potential for future application in risk stratification and personalized treatment strategies.