The goal of this study was to determine whether aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) improves prediction of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events beyond conventional risk factors. Recently, aortic stiffness has emerged as a potential
additional candidate, and reference values have now been published.

Data from prospective observational cohort studies indicate that aPWV relates to future cardiovascular risk even after accounting for other accepted cardiovascular risk factors.

Our goal was to address the questions of whether having information on aPWV for both unselected, population-based individuals and patients with manifest disease improved the prediction of future cardiovascular events; whether risk prediction varied according to subgroups; and whether improved risk prediction was additive to standard risk factors and how this may vary by population.

The following inclusion criteria were pre-specified: 1) the study had to be a cohort design with a minimum of 1-year follow-up; 2) aortic stiffness had to be assessed by direct measurement of carotid-femoral aPWV; and 3) the study had to be able to provide relevant outcome