The association between arterial stiffness and socioeconomic status: a cross-sectional study using estimated pulse wave velocity

Abstract Background The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on arterial stiffness remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between both personal and household income, as well as education level, and estimated pulse wave velocity (ePWV). Methods A total of 13,539 participants (mean age 52.9 ± 16.7 years; 57.1% women) from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Survey database were analyzed. For SES variables, information on personal and household income and education level was collected using standardized questionnaires. Results The ePWV did not show significant differences across groups categorized by individual income levels (P = 0.183). However, there was a noticeable trend of decreasing ePWV with increasing household income levels (P