Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity is Associated with Intracranial Arterial Stenosis: A Secondary Analysis Based on A Korean Population

The estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) was recently proposed to indicate artery stiffness. Although arterial stiffness contributes to intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS), the correlation between ePWV and ICAS remains unclear. This secondary analysis included 1,011 neurologically healthy Korean participants from a cross-sectional database to explore the association between ePWV and prevalent ICAS. Brain magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was performed for all patients at their presentation to access the ICAS. The ePWV was derived as: ePWV = 9.587 − 0.402 × age + 4.560 × 10 −3 × age2 − 2.621 × 10-5 × age2 × mean blood pressure (MBP) + 3.176 × 10-3 × age × MBP – 1.832 ×10-2 × MBP. The prevalence of ICAS was 9.99% (n=101). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, per 1m/s increment of ePWV causes 1.36 times the risk of ICAS prevalence after fully adjusting potential confounders. When dividing ePWV into tertiles, the ICAS risk increased by 1.98 times when ePWV increased from the first tertile to the third tertile. Moreover, the relationship between ePWV and ICAS was linear and robust, as suggested by smooth curve fitting and stratification analysis. In conclusion, the ePWV was positively and independently associated with prevalent ICAS in the Korean population.