Gender-specific contribution of aortic augmentation index to variations in left ventricular mass index in a community sample of African ancestry

Although indices of aortic augmentation derived from radial applanation tonometry are independently associated with adverse cardiovascular effects, whether these relationships are influenced by gender is uncertain. We compared the brachial blood pressure-independent contribution of augmentation index (AIx) to variations in left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in a community sample of 808 participants, 283 of whom were men. Aortic haemodynamics were determined using radial applanation tonometry and SphygmoCor software and LVMI from echocardiography. In men, both AIx derived from aortic augmentation pressure/central aortic pulse pressure (AP/PPc; partial r = 0.17, β-coefficient ± s.e.m. = 0.55 ± 0.20, P < 0.01) and AIx derived from the second peak/first peak (P2/P1) of the aortic pulse wave (partial r = 0.21, β-coefficient ± s.e.m. = 0.42 ± 0.12, P