Artery Research

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is defined as sudden onset of a neurologic deficit. It’s the cause of about 85% of all strokes and the deficits last for more than 24 h. (1) Blood pressure (BP) is elevated in 75% or more of patients with acute stroke and different levels of peripheral BP at onset are associated...

Introduction: Increased arterial stiffness (AS) in adults causes increased left ventricular (LV) afterload, putting additional strain on the heart. Long-term, this can lead to an adverse cardiovascular phenotype and AS has been found to be a determinant of CVD, independent of traditional cardiovascular...

Greater very short- to mid-term blood pressure variability (BPV) has been associated with an increased CVD risk, especially stroke. However, this link remains incompletely understood. We hypothesized that increased arterial stiffness and maladaptive carotid arterial remodeling may underlie this association....

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and its components with arterial stiffness in general population without cardiovascular diseases. Design and method: Cross-sectional study of general population without cardiovascular diseases. There were...

Objective: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with vascular derangement [1]. Leptin and adiponectin are adipokines with immunomodulatory and vascular functions [2]. We studied the association between arterial stiffness and plasma leptin and adiponectin levels...

Background: Markers of central haemodynamics have in recent years emerged as promising predictors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Central haemodynamics are affected early in the development of vascular aging and affect organs directly attached to large arteries. Carotid-Femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f...

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of disease progression and death in multiple sclerosis (MS). Obesity has a negative impact on vascular structure and function, but whether this contributes to worse vascular function similarly in individuals with MS and controls is unknown. Aim:...

Background: Wave reflection parameters predict cardiovascular events, but 24-hour profiles in large samples of healthy adults are unknown. Methods: In 1645 individuals free from antihypertensive drugs from 11 centers in Europe and Asia, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring with a validated oscillometric...

Background: The ventricle in aortic stenosis (AS) is influenced by both valvular and vascular factors. The importance of afterload on left ventricular (LV) remodeling is not completely understood. Traditional imaging techniques which rely on geometric assumptions may not assess regional remodeling accurately. Aim:...

Objective: The ASINPHAR@2action programme aims at raising awareness to early vascular ageing (EVA) through a community-based intervention. This preliminary analysis is focused on the analysis of the proportion of participants with abnormal arterial stiffness (AS) and the definition of its main determinants. Design...

The present study describes analytically a rare case in which a trifurcation of Femoral Artery in Superficial Femoral Artery, Deep Femoral Artery and Lateral Circumflex Femoral Artery was found during dissection of a cadaver. This variation can be considered as a subdivision of Lateral Circumflex Femoral...

Background: Dairy products consumption has been related to some metabolic risk parameters. Specifically, some studies have associated higher intake of dairy products with lower pulse wave velocity (PWv) values, although discrepancies persist in this relationship. Objective: To determine the association...

New chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation therapy have significantly improved cancer patient’s survival, although the cardiovascular (CV) side effects of cancer treatment are increasingly important. In previous studies, an increased risk of cerebrovascular complications such as stroke and transient ischemic...

Objective: To describe the mean values of different parameters of vascular function, evolution with age and differences by gender in the general population without cardiovascular diseases. Design and method: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Study population: From the population...

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic disorder caused predominantly by loss of a single allele of ENG (HHT1) or ACVRL1 (HHT2). Global incidence is about 1 in 5,000. Clinical manifestations include cutaneous, mucosal and/or gastrointestinal (GI) tract telangiectases that can cause severe...

Objectives: To estimate the state of the brachiocephalic trunk in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) and the relationship of changes with the clinical manifestations of the underlying disease. Material and methods: 55 patients with a diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis were examined. The average...

Background: Difference between sex, age, ethnias etc. have been described for every parameter of vascular structure and function. It is of outmost importance to know their reference values for using non invasive vascular evaluations (NIVE) in a certain population to detect subclinical aterosclerosis. Objective:...

Importance: The finding that aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) is increased may explain why patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased cardiovascular risk despite the low prevalence of classic cardiovascular risk factors. Objective: To determine why these patients have an increased...

Background: Individuals with Down Syndrome (DS) have autonomic dysfunction impacting regulation of heart rate, Blood Pressure (BP), and peripheral vasoconstriction. This may alter central hemodynamics through different wave reflections. We investigated central hemodynamics including wave reflection during...

Frequent assessment of vascular health (e.g., arterial stiffness) may predict the incidence of cardiovascular disease. The Second Derivative of the finger Photoplethysmogram Aging Index (SDPTGAI) may be used as an index of vascular aging and a screening tool for arteriosclerotic disease. To test its...

Background: Conventional brachial cuff BP is known to vary according to age and gender, but the influence of these factors on 24-hour ambulatory central BP is unknown. We sought to determine this in a large healthy population from 11 centers in Europe and Asia. Methods: 24-hour ambulatory BP using a...

Background: The immunosuppressive treatment after organ transplantation highly contribute to evolve cardiovascular comorbidities like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and kidney diseases. The effect of hypertriglyceridemia could cause accelerated atherosclerosis. Previous smoking and excessive...

MR and PET vessel wall imaging have progressed substantially in the past decade and considerable technical improvements have been made in image acquisition and the development of cell and protein specific contrast agents that allow plaque characterization both on a morphological and molecular/cellular...

Background and Objectives: It is known that physical activity is inversely associated with arterial stiffness in healthy adults 1. Data regarding the effect of physical activity on PPA is limited. Such data is of importance especially in South Africa, where alarming rates of physical inactivity have...

Purpose/Background/Objectives: Aim of the study is to examine the possible differentiation of aortic stiffness, carotid atherosclerosis and penile vascular function among patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) according to cholesterol level and statin therapy. Methods: We measured carotid intima-media...

It is well established that aortic stiffness increases with age, and as a result of a number of risk factors including diabetes. Most quantitative measurements of arterial stiffness involve the use of in vivo techniques such as pulse wave velocity or ex vivo techniques such as tensile testing. However,...

A long-standing question is whether pregnant females, who bear an increased biological stress, experience exacerbated cardiovascular responses during physiological challenge. At rest, pregnant females have reduced blood pressure, increased cardiac output, heart rate and stroke volume (1), with reported...

Aortic stiffness is now established as an independent marker of cardiovascular aging and cardiovascular risk. However, the specific role of the proximal aorta, specifically the ascending aorta, remains understudied. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a non invasive technique has recently been proposed...

Proteomics has made tremendous progress over the recent years. Initiatives, such as the Human Protein Atlas project, provide a great resource by capturing the in vivo location of proteins in different tissues and by making these data publically available (www.proteinatlas.org). Apart from the inherent...

The large arterial system and the microcirculatory network are generally studied as separated entities. We aimed to establish a link between the remodelling of microcirculatory and arterial blood pressure. Experimental: Pre-hypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats SHRs were maintained under hypoxic...

Introduction: Central Pressure (PC) has shown to be more reliable in cardiovascular (CV) mortality (1); Salt intake and excretion seems to lead to an increase in this pulsatile component of the arterial flow (2, 3). C entral Pulse Pressure (PPc) data is very few. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional...

The ground-breaking developments in non-invasive imaging over the last 50 years has provided a range of exciting new tools for physiologists and clinicians interested in large artery structure and function. The main focus of my lecture will be on MRI and PET/CT. MRI can be used in a number of different...

Background: Ambulatory Blood Pressure (BP) as well as central BP are better predictors for overall cardiovascular risk and mortality than brachial BP. Renal Denervation (RDN) has been shown to reduce office brachial and central BP as well as ambulatory brachial BP, but data on central ambulatory BP are...

Introduction: Intravascular Elastography has proven to be a sensitive tool to identify vulnerable plaques in coronary arteries. It is a technique to assess the deformation (strain) due to the pulsatile blood pressure of the vessel wall and plaque. However, for screening asymptomatic patients, a noninvasive...

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is due to complex interaction of cardiac and vascular factors and is influenced significantly by baroreceptor control. The cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) has been shown to depend on vascular compliance and this may explain recent epidemiological association...

It is commonly assumed that pressure and flow in the arteries are purely the result of forward and backward travelling waves. We will show that various observations of arterial behaviour are difficult to explain using this assumption. In particular we will look at what happens to arterial pressure under...

Background: Central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) may be more predictive of cardiovascular events than brachial BP. Therefore, non-invasive methods of determining central BP, which are suitable for routine clinical use, are required. The aim of this study was to compare estimates of cSBP provided by...

Background: Aberrant renovascular anatomy has been reported to occur in up to 80% of patients with Essential Hypertension (EH). In more than 20% of subjects, at least one kidney is found to be supplied by more than one artery arising from the aorta (1). Methods: We analysed reports of renal Angiographic...

Objectives: Parameters associated with elevated arterial stiffness and structural vascular remodeling, like aortic pulse wave velocity, have been identified as important contributors to predict cardiovascular outcome in end stage renal disease but less is known about their value in early stages of chronic...

Background: High aortic blood pressure (BP) predicts clinical outcomes beyond peripheral BP. Aortic BP may differ according to level of systolic BP (SBP)-amplification but these differences cannot be identified using current non-invasive BP measurement methods. In this study, we sought to determine if...

Type 2 diabetes (DM2) and poor glycemic control adversely affect common carotid intima media thickness (IMT), considered marker of preclinical atherosclerosis. However, studies evaluating the effect of DM2 and glucose levels on IMT did not consider carotid diameter, known to affect IMT. A certain IMT...

Background: Exercise is part of antihypertensive therapy. However, little is known about the effect of different types of exercise on hemodynamic variables in systemic arterial hypertension (SAH). Purpose: To evaluate the effect of an aerobic (AE), resistance (RE) and combined (CE) exercise session on...

Objectives: Left ventricular (LV) concentric remodeling predicts all cause and CV mortality in various subsets of patients. Large arteries stiffness determines cardiac afterload and therefore LV remodeling. Since elastic properties of the arterial wall vary along the aortic pathway, we hypothesized that...

Introduction: Invasive intra-aortic pressures are the gold standard for accurate Blood Pressure (BP) measurement. Hypertension management is guided by brachial cuff BP although its accuracy has been questioned. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that there may be a discrepancy between brachial and invasive...

Selective eating and hyperphagia are frequently encountered in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They may increase arterial stiffness, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, via excessive sodium intake, nutritional deficiency, and obesity. Therefore, primary prevention of cardiovascular...

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is a characteristic of systemic arterial hypertension and an early marker of atherosclerosis. Aerobic training (AT) is known to improve endothelial function, but little is known about the effects of resistance training (RT) and combined training (CT) on endothelial...

Introduction: Recently, in a cross-sectional study, we have found arterial stiffness assessed as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) to be reduced in obese children and adolescents. Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether weight-reduction influenced cfPWV independently of blood pressure (BP). Methods:...

It’s known that ABPM is better in diagnosing hypertension than office-based measurements. Growing evidence supports that cBP is stronger predictor of cardiovascular risk than brachial BP. Dipping status of subjects can be assessed based on night-to-day BP ratio derived from ABPM. However, there is no...

Objectives: To study the association between aortic stiffness, assessed by a single arm cuff oscillometric method, and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis (ACA) in a healthy population. Methods: We studied 234 normotensive subjects without known cardiovascular disease or diabetes (125±9/75±8 mm Hg,...

Background: Lack of physical activity is endemic in office life. Sedentary associated disorders include general adaptation syndrome (‘stress’), musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, metabolic and overweight. These conditions provoke absenteeism. Purpose: We evaluated applicability and replicability of a novel...

Objects: The purpose of this study was to calculate robust quantitative estimates of the predictive value of cardio-ankle vascular index, (CAVI) for future all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients. Subjects and methods: A total of 163 hemodialysis patients (102 males and 61 females, mean age 60±11...

Objectives: Shorter leukocyte telomere length is associated with cardiovascular risk and decreased nitric oxide bioavailability. Aforementioned are also linked with increased oxidative stress and inflammation. 1,2 Telomere length, NO metabolites (NOx), blood pressure, oxidative stress and inflammation...

Background: Increased arterial stiffness has been established in patients with COPD (1). However, the changes in aortic stiffness over time and contributing factors are still unknown. We hypothesise that there would be a significant change in aortic stiffness in COPD over one year. Methods: Aortic pulse...

Background: The aim of this study was to assess resistance artery function in short-term chronic cigarette smokers and non-smoking control subjects. Methods: Reactive hyperemia was assessed in 19 cigarette smokers (age 23±1 years) and 19 non-smokers (age 23±1 years). Results: Cigarette smokers demonstrated...

Background and Aim: The classification system is important in assessing the severity of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and making the treatment decision. However, classification systems may not be sufficient and scoring systems developed to predict cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events can also...

Background: The relationship between Blood Pressure (BP) and cardiovascular risk is continuous. Here, we examined haemodynamic characteristics across a range of BP categories, to determine kihaemodynamic mechanisms associated with early elevations of BP and whether these differ by gender. Methods: 2618...

Background: Systemic Lupus Erithematosus (SLE) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk and early vascular aging. The aim of the study was to evaluate aortic and carotid stiffness, central blood pressure (BP) and wave reflection in women with SLE, in order to identify whether different vascular...

Increased arterial stiffness and carotid artery Intima-Media Thickness (IMT) are associated with atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), but their correlation with the anatomic extent of atherosclerosis in hypertensive patients is not completely known. We aim to evaluate whether Pulse Wave...

Aim: To evaluate vascular function and structure in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: 58 MCI and 22 controls (age 74±5vs75±4years, men 45vs59% p=ns) were recruited. Endothelial function in the brachial artery (BA) was studied by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and response to glyceryl...

Background: Arterial hypertension is the main modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Inflammation and endothelial dysfunction contribute to arterial wall remodeling and blood pressure elevation, leading to the development of age-associated changes of cardiovascular system that limit the lifespan. Objectives:...

Objective: We have previously shown that combined renin-angiotensin system blockade (RB) was less effective than sequential-nephron blockade (SNB) for controlling BP in resistant hypertension (RH). Whether this is accompanied with an improvement in the mechanical properties of large arteries is unknown. Design...

Background and Aim: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a primary risk factor for atherosclerosis, but it is also associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and future development of hypertension. We examined the relationship between LDL-C and haemodynamic variables in normotensive and never-treated...

Objective: We previously showed that sequential-nephron blockade (SNB) was more effective than combined renin angiotensin system blockade (RB) for controlling BP in patients with resistant hypertension (RH). We assessed medication adherence (MA) on the antihypertensive (AHT) response to SNB/RB with a...

One of the most commonly evaluated features of the arterial pressure waveforms is augmentation index (AI). Multiple devices have been developed and marketed that measure AI at peripheral arteries. Currently, it is not known if and how these measures of AI are related. Aortic and radial AI (using SphygmoCor),...