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Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 295: H2380-H2387, 2008. First published October 10, 2008; doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00902.2008 Free Article
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Racial differences in central blood pressure and vascular function in young men

Kevin S. Heffernan,1 Sae Young Jae,1,2 Kenneth R. Wilund,1 Jeffrey A. Woods,1 and Bo Fernhall1

1The Exercise and Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois; and 2Department of Sports Informatics, University of Seoul, Seoul, Korea

Submitted 18 August 2008 ; accepted in final form 6 October 2008

Young African-American men have altered macrovascular and microvascular function. In this cross-sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that vascular dysfunction in young African-American men would contribute to greater central blood pressure (BP) compared with young white men. Fifty-five young (23 yr), healthy men (25 African-American and 30 white) underwent measures of vascular structure and function, including carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and carotid artery β-stiffness via ultrasonography, aortic pulse wave velocity, aortic augmentation index (AIx), and wave reflection travel time (Tr) via radial artery tonometery and a generalized transfer function, and microvascular vasodilatory capacity of forearm resistance arteries with strain-gauge plethysmography. African-American men had similar brachial systolic BP (SBP) but greater aortic SBP (P < 0.05) and carotid SBP (P < 0.05). African-American men also had greater carotid IMT, greater carotid β-stiffness, greater aortic stiffness and AIx, reduced aortic Tr and reduced peak hyperemic, and total hyperemic forearm blood flow compared with white men (P < 0.05). In conclusion, young African-American men have greater central BP, despite comparable brachial BP, compared with young white men. Diffuse macrovascular and microvascular dysfunction manifesting as carotid hypertrophy, increased stiffness of central elastic arteries, heightened resistance artery constriction/blunted resistance artery dilation, and greater arterial wave reflection are present at a young age in apparently healthy African-American men, and conventional brachial BP measurement does not reflect this vascular burden.

augmentation index; arterial stiffness


Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: K. S. Heffernan, Dept. of Kinesiology and Community Health, Exercise and Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Rehabilitation Education Center, 1207 S. Oak St. Champaign, IL 61820 (e-mail: kheffeman{at}tuftsmedicalcenter.org)






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