Association of emerging anthropometric ratios with arterial stiffness risk measured by pulse wave velocity: insights from a middle-eastern population

Abstract Background Arterial stiffness (AS), a strong risk factor for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), is typically assessed using pulse wave velocity (PWV). This study takes a unique approach by exploring the relationship between novel anthropometric indices and AS in a large cohort study. Method This cross-sectional study was conducted during Phase II of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorders (MASHAD) study, a 10-year cohort (2010–2020). Out of the original 9704 participants at the beginning of the MASHAD cohort study, 310 healthy participants, 206 individuals without confirmed cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 307 individuals with confirmed major cardiovascular events were randomly selected. PWV test was conducted using a specialized SphygmoCor XCEL System, and participants were grouped into two CVD and two non-CVD groups based on the median PWV