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Arterial Stiffness and Markers of Atrial Myopathy

Okrajni, Magdalena LU ; Platonov, Pyotr LU ; Muhammad, Iram Faqir LU ; Holmqvist, Fredrik LU ; Lundberg, Johan Economou ; Persson, Anders LU orcid ; Kennbäck, Cecilia LU ; Healey, Jeffrey S. ; Engström, Gunnar LU and Johnson, Linda S. LU (2025) In Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology 30(2).
Abstract

Background: Arterial stiffness, measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) and heart rate-corrected augmentation index (Aix75), is associated with cardiovascular disease, and in some studies incident atrial fibrillation (AF). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate whether arterial stiffness is associated with markers of atrial myopathy, which refers to structural and electrical changes in the atria that indicate increased AF risk. Methods: We included 1050 participants (age 57 ± 4.3 years, 47% males) from the population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study with c-f PWV and Aix75 data. A random subsample (n = 331) underwent echocardiography. The association between arterial stiffness and atrial... (More)

Background: Arterial stiffness, measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) and heart rate-corrected augmentation index (Aix75), is associated with cardiovascular disease, and in some studies incident atrial fibrillation (AF). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate whether arterial stiffness is associated with markers of atrial myopathy, which refers to structural and electrical changes in the atria that indicate increased AF risk. Methods: We included 1050 participants (age 57 ± 4.3 years, 47% males) from the population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study with c-f PWV and Aix75 data. A random subsample (n = 331) underwent echocardiography. The association between arterial stiffness and atrial myopathy markers was studied using multivariable-adjusted negative binomial regression models for premature atrial complexes (PACs) on 24 h ECG, linear regression for P-wave duration and left atrial volume index (LAVi), and logistic regression models for abnormal P-wave terminal force in V1 (PWTFV1) and P-wave axis. Results: Arterial stiffness was associated with fewer PACs: incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.45 (95% CI: 0.31 to 0.65, p < 0.001) per 1 m/s increase in c-f PWV and IRR 0.66 (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.89, p = 0.01) per % increase in Aix75. There was no association between arterial stiffness and P-wave indices, OR 1.09 (95% CI: 0.85 to 1.40), p = 0.50 for abnormal PWTFV1, and β −0.003 (−0.10 to 0.09), p = 0.95 for P-wave duration, both per 1 m/s increase in c-f PWV. Conclusions: Arterial stiffness, measured as either c-f PWV or Aix75, was associated with fewer PACs, whereas no association was found with P-wave indices. The association between arterial stiffness and atrial myopathy is complex and merits further study.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
24 h ECG, arterial stiffness, atrial myopathy, left atrial volume, P-wave, premature atrial complexes
in
Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology
volume
30
issue
2
article number
e70044
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85216651191
  • pmid:39888124
ISSN
1082-720X
DOI
10.1111/anec.70044
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
89305208-802b-4016-a340-8f5ebbf936bd
date added to LUP
2025-03-21 16:02:32
date last changed
2025-05-30 21:06:32
@article{89305208-802b-4016-a340-8f5ebbf936bd,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Arterial stiffness, measured using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) and heart rate-corrected augmentation index (Aix75), is associated with cardiovascular disease, and in some studies incident atrial fibrillation (AF). In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to investigate whether arterial stiffness is associated with markers of atrial myopathy, which refers to structural and electrical changes in the atria that indicate increased AF risk. Methods: We included 1050 participants (age 57 ± 4.3 years, 47% males) from the population-based Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study with c-f PWV and Aix75 data. A random subsample (n = 331) underwent echocardiography. The association between arterial stiffness and atrial myopathy markers was studied using multivariable-adjusted negative binomial regression models for premature atrial complexes (PACs) on 24 h ECG, linear regression for P-wave duration and left atrial volume index (LAVi), and logistic regression models for abnormal P-wave terminal force in V1 (PWTFV1) and P-wave axis. Results: Arterial stiffness was associated with fewer PACs: incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.45 (95% CI: 0.31 to 0.65, p &lt; 0.001) per 1 m/s increase in c-f PWV and IRR 0.66 (95% CI: 0.49 to 0.89, p = 0.01) per % increase in Aix75. There was no association between arterial stiffness and P-wave indices, OR 1.09 (95% CI: 0.85 to 1.40), p = 0.50 for abnormal PWTFV1, and β −0.003 (−0.10 to 0.09), p = 0.95 for P-wave duration, both per 1 m/s increase in c-f PWV. Conclusions: Arterial stiffness, measured as either c-f PWV or Aix75, was associated with fewer PACs, whereas no association was found with P-wave indices. The association between arterial stiffness and atrial myopathy is complex and merits further study.</p>}},
  author       = {{Okrajni, Magdalena and Platonov, Pyotr and Muhammad, Iram Faqir and Holmqvist, Fredrik and Lundberg, Johan Economou and Persson, Anders and Kennbäck, Cecilia and Healey, Jeffrey S. and Engström, Gunnar and Johnson, Linda S.}},
  issn         = {{1082-720X}},
  keywords     = {{24 h ECG; arterial stiffness; atrial myopathy; left atrial volume; P-wave; premature atrial complexes}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology}},
  title        = {{Arterial Stiffness and Markers of Atrial Myopathy}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/anec.70044}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/anec.70044}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}