Artery Research

Background: Recently the pulse wave velocity (PWV) threshold of hypertensive target organ damage (TOD) was set at 10 m/s. New 24 – h monitors (e.g., BPLab-Vasotens) provide not only 1 PWV but several PWV measurements over a 24 – h period. The new Pulse Time Index of Norm (PTIN) can be calculated from...

Objective: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is accepted as the standard technique to assess aortic stiffness. While the carotid-femoral transit time can be assessed with high accuracy, the measurement of the aortic length is, however, less accurate. Several approaches for measuring aortic length over the body-surface...

Objectives. To combine cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR), which provides accurate and non-invasive evaluation of flow, with applanation tonometry to assess aortic characteristic impedance (Zc) in time domain while comparing six different methods. Methods. We studied 72 healthy volunteers (31women,...

Background: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is an independent determinant of cardiovascular events. Computed tomography (CT) is currently the gold standard for measuring aortic calcification but is limited by relatively high radiation exposure. Lateral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (lateral-DXA)...

Evaluating diastolic function in children remains a topic of clinical discussion and a gold standard measurement technique is still lacking. Wave intensity analysis can provide insight into ventricular filling mechanisms and ventriculo-vascular coupling, and it can be derived directly from cardiovascular...

Aims: To compare central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) and augmentation index (AIx) from 2 recently introduced devices Omron-HEM9000 (OM) and Arteriograph (AG) not using a transfer function with that of the widely used SphygmoCor (SC), which together with another radial device OM is calibrated on brachial...

Introduction: Parameters of wave reflection (augmentation pressure - AP or augmentation index – AIx) are powerful independent prognostic markers in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the invasive investigation of arterial waveforms is still confined to expensive equipment. The aim of this...

Arterial stiffness, measured as aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV), and wave reflection, measured as augmentation index (AIx) are independent predictors, for total and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to compare a new device, based on oscillometric pressure curves (Arteriograph)...

Objectives. Inhomogeneities of wall characteristics may relate to plaques in a nearby vessel. The aim of the present study is to investigate the association between spatial inhomogeneities of intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) and plaques in the internal carotid artery. Methods....

Central blood pressure may be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than peripheral blood pressure. The central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) can be estimated from the late systolic shoulder of the radial pulse waveform (pSBP2). We compared pSBP2 with cSBP derived by a generalized transfer function...

Objectives. Myocardial fibrosis occurs early in hypertension and plays a major role in CV disease. Our goal was to assess the mutual influence of blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular (CV) risk factors on diffuse myocardial fibrosis, as assessed non-invasively from Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance...

Background: Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) measured by B-mode ultrasound is a sensitive and non-invasive method for detection of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is often used as primary outcome measure in clinical trials as a surrogate marker of CVD. The purpose of the present study...

Objectives. Retinal vessel diameters are a valid tissue biomarker for cardiovascular risk assessment. We aimed to assess the acute effects of different exercise intensities on retinal vessel diameters, and whether these effects differ between seniors and young adults. Methods. In this cross-over study,...

Introduction: There are several approaches to assess endothelial function using forearm ischemia - hyperaemia (FMD). The principal difference is whether flow is stopped in the root of the arm (proximal or P) or the wrist (distal or D). P induces “non pulsatile ischemia”, and D, “pulsatile ischemia”,...

Aims. We compared associations between common carotid intima-media thickness(IMT)) and coronary artery calcification(CAC)) and measures of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) in 3 ethnic groups. Methods. A community-based sample of 1331 men and women (47%White European (WE), 36% South Asian (SA) and 16% African...

Background: Previous clinical studies have shown that the incidence of restenosis after carotid and coronary stenting varies with stent design and deployment configuration. This study aims to determine how stent design may affect in-stent hemodynamics in stented carotid arteries by means of Computational...

Aim: The assessment of aortic stiffness in young and middle aged men with coronary artery disease (CAD). Materials and methods: This study was carried out in 49 CAD patients aged 43,5±4,8 years with coronary artery stenosis diagnosed by angiography and 29 healthy volunteers (the control group) aged...

Relations between central versus brachial blood pressure and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) events remain controversial. Central measures derived using radial tonometry and a generalized transfer function as implemented using the SphygmoCor device may better predict CVD risk compared to central pressures...

Background: According to the 2007 European Society of Hypertension guidelines, measurement of arterial stiffness (AS) is recommended in patients with arterial hypertension (HT). The carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) appears to be the “gold standard” for evaluation on vascular changes in these...

Large artery stiffening is widely accepted as a determinant of ISH in the population with a predictive power of CV events has been shown to be beyond traditional risk scores. However, its clinical role in is still limited perhaps due to the lack of established reference values and methodological uniformity....

Arterial baroreflex sensitivity (BS) is dependent on distension rate of baroreceptors, itself dependent on arterial stiffness. Differences in BS between younger and older subjects, and normotensive and hypertensive patients may be explained by differences in arterial stiffness. The objective was to demonstrate...

Objectives. Retinal vessel analysis is a valid diagnostic tool to detect subclinical signs of atherosclerosis in the cerebrovascular microcirculation as early as childhood. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between specific obesity-related biomarkers and retinal vessel diameters...

Background: Men with CAD have been shown to have abnormal arterial stiffness. Arterial function may change over time, according to treatment; the prognostic value of these changes has not been investigated. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess whether an improvement of lager artery...

Atherosclerosis is a pathological process affecting arterial elasticity. The rabbit is one of the most widely used animal models for atherosclerosis research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a method for the automatic assessment of local vascular stiffness in rabbits. An off-line...

Objective. We have shown that regression of brachial stiffness is inversely related to aortic stiffness in dialysis patients. In this study, we sequentially examine the impact of aortic stiffness, brachial stiffness and aortic-brachial stiffness mismatch on mortality in dialysis patients. Design and...

Figure 1AA and CCA pulse waveform measured during 6 heartbeats in 1 volunteer. Cardiac and arterial function is reflected in the distension (change in diameter) waveforms of central arteries. For analyses, commonly the distension waveform of the common carotid artery (CCA) is used, as the CCA is superficial...

Mean ambulatory pulse pressure (PP) is a potent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Objectives. Investigating prognostic significance of elastic and non-elastic PP components Methods. Using a generalized nonlinear pressure–volume relationship in arteries (Fig. 1), PP can be split into...

Objectives: Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is usually estimated by sequential (ECG referenced) carotid-femoral tonometry using the SphygmoCor system (Atcor, Australia). This can be technically challenging and operator dependant. Here we evaluate a simple, operator independent method of estimating central...

Objectives. The BPGUIDE study was a prospective, blinded-endpoint study in 286 hypertensive patients randomised to treatment decisions guided by best-practice usual care (n = 142) or in addition by central BP measurement (n = 144; using SphygmoCor) over twelve months. This study aimed to undertake a...

Background: Abdominal obesity is a clinical setting recognized as a difficult situation to assess transcutaneous pulse wave velocity (PWV). PWV measurement between carotid and femoral sites is considered as the gold standard measurement of aortic stiffness. Arterial stiffness is an important parameter...

Background: Aortic elasticity properties (aortic distensibility, compliance, elastic modulus, and stiffness index) can be evaluated by cross-sectional thoracic aorta areas measurements at 2 times of the cardiac cycle (peak systolic and end-diastolic phases) with PC-cine MRI series. Pulse wave velocity...