Pulse pressure amplification in relation to body fatness

AIMS Arterial pressure transfer to the periphery is accompanied by pulse pressure amplification (PPA). Pulse pressure is influence by body fat. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate any possible inter-relation between body fatness and PPA in healthy subjects. METHODS Haemodynamic and wave reflection indices were estimated by pulse wave analysis. Body fat was measured by bio-impedance. RESULTS A total of 367 healthy volunteers (136 men and 231 women) was studied. Pulse pressure amplification correlated significantly with percentage of body fat (r = -0.53, P < 0.0001), age (r = -0.62, P < 0.0001), height (r = 0.43, P < 0.0001), heart rate (r = 0.28, P < 0.0001) and mean blood pressure (r = -0.29, P < 0.0001). The association of PPA with body fat was also significant in a multiple linear regression model. Age was an independent predictor of PPA and analysis of study subjects subdivided into two groups, those < 50 years and those > 50 years showed that body fatness correlated inversely and significantly with PPA in individuals both younger and older than 50 years (r = -0.44, P < 0.0001, r = -0.37, P < 0.0001 respectively). Augmentation pressure was also associated significantly with percentage of body fat in both subgroups (r = 0.48, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.49, P < 0.0001 respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study performed on healthy subjects showed that pulse pressure amplification is related to body fatness over a wide age range. Percentage body fat is significantly associated with augmentation pressure, a component of central pulse pressure.