Abdominal obesity and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) are indicators of atherosclerosis. But few studies have shown the relationship between baPWV combined with waist-hip ratio (WHR) and cardiac-cerebrovascular events (CCVEs).
A total of 18944 subjects from Kailuan study were enrolled in this study. Follow-up was conducted three times over 4.82±1.92 years. All the participants were divided into 4 groups according to baPWV and WHR status on baseline: Q1 (normal baPWV, normal WHR), Q2 (normal baPWV, increased WHR), Q3 (increased baPWV, normal WHR) and Q4 (increased baPWV, increased WHR). The incidence and risk factors and further analysis of hypertension subgroups were analyzed.
During follow-up, 88 myocardial infarctions (MI), 278 cerebral ischemic strokes (CI), 285 strokes and 371 CCVEs occurred, with the cumulative incidence of 0.46%, 1.47%, 1.50%, and 1.96%, respectively. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the risk of CI, stroke and CCVEs was higher in patients with increased baPWV and increased WHR than in the other three groups, followed by the Q3 group (increased baPWV, normal WHR) and Q2 group (normal baPWV, increased WHR) group (all adjusted P<0.01). Further hypertension subgroups analysis showed similar results, but differences were more significant among hypertensive patients. Accordingly, the combination of baPWV and WHR increased the risk of total CCVEs, especially in hypertensive patients.
BaPWV and WHR were important risk factors for CCVEs and had synergistic effects. When baPWV increased, WHR may contribute more to the risk of CCVEs in hypertensive patients.

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