Age-specific nomogram of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in Japanese adolescents.

To obtain data on the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) distribution during adolescence, a total of 3215 Japanese adolescents ranging from 12 to 18 years of age were studied. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity increased substantially with age and was significantly higher in males than in females. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that age, weight, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were the major determinants of baPWV for both genders. Age-specific centile curves of baPWV were constructed for males and females by regression curve analysis. The proposed distribution curves of baPWV and its derived cutoff values may allow the atherosclerotic risk profile among adolescents of different ages to be more precisely estimated.