OBJECTIVE Pulse wave velocity (PWV) correlates well with arterial distensibility and stiffness and is a useful non-invasive index to assess arteriosclerosis. The present study was conducted to evaluate the validity of noninvasive brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV) measurements in overweight young adults. METHODS Three hundred and fifty-three students were voluntarily enrolled (mean age: 20+/-2, 93 women and 260 men). The subjects were divided into three groups: normal (18.5 < or = body mass index (BMI) <25 n = 120), overweight (25 < or = BMI <30 n = 164) and obese (BMI > or = 30, n = 69). The baPWV was measured using volume-plethymographic apparatus. RESULTS Hypertension and hyperlipidemia were diagnosed in one-third of the subjects of the obese group and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was diagnosed in 64% of the obese group. The baPWV in male subjects was significantly higher in the obese group than in the overweight group and in the males with NAFLD than in those without NAFLD. The stepwise linear regression analysis showed that PWV was significantly associated with mean blood pressure (p < 0.001) and gamma-GTP (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Mean blood pressure was a powerful determination for baPWV in the university students. BaPWV may be useful to predict the initial stage of arteriosclerosis and conceivably NAFLD including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in obese young adults.