Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity and Risk of Alzheimer Disease
Jie Ren, Haoyu Feng, Qingqing LiuBackground:
Arterial stiffness may contribute to Alzheimer disease (AD) pathogenesis. Estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV) is a noninvasive marker of arterial stiffness, yet its longitudinal association with AD remains unclear.
Methods:
This prospective cohort study included 14,602 participants aged 45 years or older without baseline AD from HRS (2010 to 2020) and ELSA (2004 to 2018). ePWV was calculated using the Greve formula. Cox models estimated HRs for AD per 1 m/s increase in ePWV, with sequential adjustments. Restricted cubic splines examined dose-response relationships.
Results:
Over median follow-ups of 8.2 years (HRS) and 10.2 years (ELSA), 203 and 136 incident AD cases occurred. In fully adjusted models, each 1 m/s increment in ePWV was associated with 39% (HR=1.39) and 63% (HR=1.63) increased AD risk, respectively. Positive dose-response associations were observed without clear threshold effects. Subgroup analyses showed consistent results across most strata.
Conclusions:
Elevated ePWV is independently associated with increased AD risk, suggesting its potential as a risk stratification tool for AD prevention.