P1.13 CHANGES IN PULSE WAVE VELOCITY ALONE CANNOT PREDICT THE PULSE PRESSURE INCREASE WITH AGE

DOI

10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.205How to use a DOI?

Abstract

Recently Weber et al. invasively obtained aortic Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) as a function of age. [1] Systolic and diastolic aortic pressure were determined as well. PWV can be used to derive total arterial compliance, C_tot, as C_tot=k/PWV². With C_tot and Stroke Volume (SV), aortic Pulse Pressure (PP) can be approximated from C_tot=SV/PP.

However, the PWV-derived value for C_tot predicted a larger PP increase with age than measured. [1] PWV increased from 5.6 to 12m/s between <40 and >80 years of age thus aortic compliance (C_ao) decreased by a factor (12/5.6)2=4.6.[1] Setting C_tot equal to C_ao, PP would increase by the same factor, while measured PP increased from 50 to 90 mmHg. SV decreasing with age may play a role but certainly not a factor 2.

We hypothesize that C_tot is not equal to Cao as calculated form PWV: compliance of the conduit arteries, C_ca, also contribute. This can be seen as follows. In the young C_tot=0.6, C_ao=0.35 and C_ca=0.25 (cgs units). At high age C_ao reduces to 0.6/4.6=0.076 and C_ca to 0.25/1.2=0.20, thus C_tot=0.28; about halved. PP then approximately doubles, in agreement with the pressure data.

In aging C_tot decreases considerably less than C_ao since the relatively smaller changes in C_ca play a role as well. Changes in aortic PWV alone cannot predict the PP increase as a function of age.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Berend Westerhof*
AU  - Thomas Weber
AU  - Siegfried Wassertheurer
AU  - Bernhard Hametner
AU  - Nico Westerhof
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/11/23
TI  - P1.13 CHANGES IN PULSE WAVE VELOCITY ALONE CANNOT PREDICT THE PULSE PRESSURE INCREASE WITH AGE
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 5
EP  - 6
VL  - 12
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.205
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.205
ID  - Westerhof*2015
ER  -