Biomarkers · Cardiac & Hemodynamics
Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV)
Lower values go with lower risk of death. No risk curve catalogued yet.
Published risk of death1.90×high vs low aortic PWV (third vs first tertile), 11 studies (95% CI 1.61–2.24) · Meta-analysis of 17 longitudinal studies (general population plus CAD, renal disease, hypertension groups), 15,877 subjects
What studies found when this marker was changed
They describe what happened in those study groups, not a recommendation. See all catalogued interventions.
Measured changes in PWV, study by study
6 effects with a numeric size, each from one study arm: the dot is the reported change, the line its 95% interval where one was given. Green points move the marker the way lower risk of death lies; amber the other way. Study results in the groups studied, not predictions for a person.
| Type | Intervention | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| clinical | Intensive antihypertensive treatment to SBP <120 mmHg vs <140 mmHg for 3 years (SPRINT substudy) | Carotid-femoral PWV -0.49 m/s (-0.96 to -0.02; P=0.042) vs standard target at 3-year follow-up | RCT | Pewowaruk R, Jaeger BC, Hughes TM, et al. Hypertension. 2025. |
| clinical | Surgical parathyroidectomy in mild asymptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism | PWV -0.48 m/s (MD; -0.88 to -0.07; P = .022) after parathyroidectomy | meta-analysis | Bernardi S, Giudici F, Barbato V, et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021. |
| diet | Dietary sodium restriction | Sodium reduction of 89.3 mmol/day lowered cfPWV by 2.84% (95% CI 0.51-5.08) (Eleven studies, 431 participants) | meta-analysis | D'Elia L, et al. Effect of dietary sodium restriction on arterial stiffness… |
| exercise | Aerobic or combined aerobic-resistance exercise training | Exercise training reduced cfPWV by 0.74 m/s (95% CI -1.02 to -0.46) vs control (69 RCTs) | meta-analysis | Tan Y, et al. Comparative effectiveness of exercise modalities and doses on… |
| exercise | Long-term aerobic endurance and cycling / running exercise | Aerobic training lowered PWV 0.63 m/s overall (95% CI -0.90 to -0.35); carotid-femoral PWV -0.39 m/s (95% CI -0.52 to -0.27) | meta-analysis | Ashor AW, et al. Effects of exercise modalities on arterial stiffness and wave… |
| exercise | Aerobic, resistance, isometric or combined exercise training for at least 4 weeks in adults with hypertension | PWV -0.76 m/s (95% CI -1.05 to -0.47) vs control | meta-analysis | Lopes S, Afreixo V, Teixeira M, et al. J Hypertens. 2021. |
| pharmacologic | Antihypertensive therapy incl. ACE inhibitors | Active antihypertensive treatment lowered cfPWV by 0.75 (short-term) and 1.3 m/s (long-term) vs +0.17 and -0.44 m/s on placebo; ACEIs most effective short-term | meta-analysis | Ong KT, et al. Aortic stiffness is reduced beyond blood pressure lowering by… |
| supplement | Oral magnesium supplements (various salts and doses) in adults | PWV -0.54 m/s (95% CI -1.45 to 0.36), not statistically significant | meta-analysis | Marques BCAA, Klein MRST, da Cunha MR, et al. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev… |
Things that worsen it
| Type | Condition or exposure | Reported effect | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| behavioral | Cigarette smoking in chronic smokers (acute effect) | Smoking one cigarette acutely increased carotid-femoral PWV in chronic smokers (effect size not reported) | RCT | Vlachopoulos C, et al. Arterial stiffening and systemic endothelial activation… |
What else moves this marker
They describe those study groups, not an individual, and an association is not a cause.
Diseases and conditions
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Abdominal aortic aneurysm · PWV 12.99 m/s in AAA vs 10.03 m/s in age-matched stable CAD controls | +2.96 m/s | AAA candidates for endovascular repair vs men with stable CAD without AAA · 108 men with AAA and 41 age-matched men with stable CAD | cross sectional · PMID 22982141 |
| ↑ Mild primary hyperparathyroidism · patients with mild pHPT vs controls | +1.18 m/s (95% CI 0.67 to 1.68) | mild pHPT vs controls · 433 patients with mild pHPT and 407 controls, 10 studies | meta analysis · PMID 33693666 |
Environmental and occupational exposures
| What | Effect on the marker | Comparison · population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| ↑ Tobacco smoke exposure in childhood/adolescence (active or passive) · carotid-femoral PWV, exposed vs unexposed individuals up to 21 years | +0.1 m/s (95% CI 0.02 to 0.17) | tobacco-exposed vs unexposed young individuals · Children, adolescents and young adults up to 21 y, 12 studies | meta analysis · PMID 31747795 |