Abstract-Aerobic exercise training increases arterial compliance and reduces systolic blood pressure, but the effects of muscular strength training on arterial mechanical properties are unknown. We compared blood pressure, whole body arterial compliance, aortic impedance, aortic stiffness (measured by ␤-index and carotid pulse pressure divided by normalized systolic expansion Femoral-dorsalis pedis pulse wave velocity was also higher in the athletes, but carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was not different. Furthermore, both carotid (56Ϯ3 versus 44Ϯ2 mm Hg; PϽ0.001) and brachial (60Ϯ3 versus 50Ϯ2 mm Hg; PϽ0.01) pulse pressures were higher in the athletes, but mean arterial pressure and resting heart rate did not differ between groups. These data indicate that both the proximal aorta and the leg arteries are stiffer in strength-trained individuals and contribute to a higher cardiac afterload. (Hypertension. 1999;33:1385-1391.) Key Words: mechanical properties, arterial Ⅲ stiffness Ⅲ compliance Ⅲ exercise A rterial compliance plays a role in determining both arterial systolic and diastolic pressure and therefore, in a clinical context, influences left ventricular size and function, coronary blood flow, and the risk of cerebrovascular accidents. [1][2][3] In the past, measures of arterial compliance in humans have been invasive, and therefore surrogate measures such as peripheral pulse pressure have been applied to investigate potential relationships with clinical outcomes. Pulse pressure correlates closely with serious cardiovascular outcomes such as myocardial infarction, 4 thus highlighting arterial compliance as a potential target for risk reduction therapy.Arterial compliance decreases with increasing age, 5-8 in atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, 5,9 -12 and in hypertensive individuals. [13][14][15] Aerobic exercise has welldocumented efficacy for cardiovascular risk reduction, and it appears that at least part of its benefit derives from modification of arterial properties. In cross-sectional studies, aerobically trained athletes have a higher arterial compliance than sedentary individuals. 6,16,17 Furthermore, arterial compliance is elevated independently of blood pressure reduction in previously sedentary males after a 4-week program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training. 18 These data suggest that aerobic exercise structurally modifies the large arteries, a postulate supported by studies of ex vivo aortic properties in rats, after 16 weeks of spontaneous running. 19,20 While aerobic exercise is widely recommended as a preventative and therapeutic strategy, resistance-style training is becoming more popular, although it is less well studied with respect to its effects on blood pressure, and no previous study has examined arterial mechanical properties in this context. High-level resistance training is associated with abrupt and large pressor responses 21 and in the long term leads to a concentric ventricular hypertrophy. [22][23][24][25] We hypothesize that arterial mechanical modifica...

The increased SAC and decreased PWV in women receiving hormonal therapy suggest that such therapy may decrease stiffness of the aorta and large arteries in postmenopausal women, with potential benefit for age-related cardiovascular disorders. The reduction of arterial compliance with age appears to be altered with hormonal therapy.

In men and women matched for mean pressures, the age-related stiffening of large arteries is more pronounced in women, which is consistent with changes in female hormonal status.

Within a patient group with moderate CAD, large artery stiffness was a major determinant of myocardial ischemic threshold.

Abstract-The present study characterized large-artery properties in patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and determined the efficacy of exercise training in modifying these properties. Twenty patients (10 male and 10 female) with stage I ISH and 20 age-and gender-matched control subjects were recruited, and large-artery properties were assessed noninvasively. Ten ISH patients (5 male and 5 female) were enrolled in a randomized crossover study comparing 8 weeks of moderate intensity cycling with 8 weeks of sedentary activity. Brachial and carotid systolic, diastolic, mean, and pulse pressures were higher in the ISH group than in the control group. Systemic arterial compliance (0.43Ϯ0.04 versus 0.29Ϯ0.02 arbitrary compliance units for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.01) was lower, and carotid-to-femoral pulse-wave velocity (9.67Ϯ0.36 versus 11.43Ϯ0.51 m · s Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.007), input impedance (2.39Ϯ0.19 versus 3.27Ϯ0.34 mm Hg · s · cm Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.04), and characteristic impedance (1.67Ϯ0.17 versus 2.34Ϯ0.27 mm Hg · s · cm Ϫ1 for the control versus ISH groups, respectively; Pϭ0.05) were higher in the ISH group than in the control group. Training increased maximal oxygen consumption by 13Ϯ5% (Pϭ0.04) and maximum workload by 8Ϯ4% (Pϭ0.05); however, there was no effect on arterial mechanical properties, blood lipids, or left ventricular mass or function. These results suggest that the large-artery stiffening associated with ISH is resistant to modification through short-term aerobic training. (Hypertension. 2001;38:222-226.)

Abstract-The mechanisms relating pulse pressure to cardiovascular outcome may include surrogacy for coronary disease severity. Although pulse pressure is typically measured at the brachial artery, central pulse pressure and its principal determinant, large-artery stiffness, may relate more closely to disease severity. This study aimed to determine the relationships between large-artery stiffness and carotid and brachial blood pressures and coronary artery disease severity. One hundred fourteen male patients with coronary artery disease (age 60Ϯ8 years, meanϮSD) and 57 age-matched healthy male controls (age 59Ϯ9 years) were recruited. Patients were classified into 2 groups based on the magnitude of their maximum coronary stenosis: moderate (50% to 89%) and severe (Ն90%). Large-artery stiffness was assessed as systemic arterial compliance and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Mean pressure was not different between the 3 groups. Systemic compliance and carotid pulse pressure were significantly different between all 3 groups, with compliance lowest and pressure highest in the severe group (PϽ0.05). Pulse wave velocity was higher in patients with severe stenosis than in those with moderate stenosis (PϽ0.01) and those in the control group (PϽ0.001). Brachial pulse pressure was higher in patients than in controls (PϽ0.05), but there was no difference between the 2 disease groups. In separate multivariate analyses, carotid pressures and systemic arterial compliance were determinants of coronary artery disease severity, independent of age, smoking status, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cholesterol levels (total, LDL, and HDL), triglycerides, and ␤-antagonist and lipid-lowering therapy (PϽ0.001), whereas brachial pressures and pulse wave velocity were not. In conclusion, central blood pressures and systemic arterial compliance are more sensitive markers of coronary artery disease severity than brachial pressures. Key Words: arterial pressure Ⅲ arteries Ⅲ coronary artery disease Ⅲ pulse P ulse pressure is well established as an important independent predictor of cardiovascular and especially coronary outcome, 1,2 whereas more recently, its principal determinant, large-artery stiffness, has been linked to total mortality. 3 The mechanisms responsible for increased cardiovascular risk include an elevation in left ventricular pulsatile work, 4 left ventricular hypertrophy, 5 and compromised coronary perfusion. 6 Furthermore, high pulse pressure may simply reflect parallels between coronary and aortic atherosclerosis, with the latter leading to aortic stiffening. Certainly, aortic atherosclerotic plaque is an important marker for coronary artery disease (CAD), 7,8 and large-artery stiffness is higher in patients with CAD. 9,10 Primarily owing to an increase in systolic pressure, pulse pressure is augmented in the periphery compared with the aorta, as a result of both arterial tapering and greater stiffness in the peripheral than the central arteries. The difference between central and peripheral press...

These data suggest that hormonal modulation of distal arterial vascular tone may account for short-term changes in arterial compliance associated with estrogen-containing hormonal therapy.

We have used an implanted telemetry system to continuously monitor blood pressure (BP) in three dogs for durations ranging from 28 to 75 wk after implantation. Measurements of BP obtained by telemetry were compared every 3-12 wk, with measurements of BP recorded with a manometer-tipped catheter that was inserted into a femoral artery. Over a wide range of both physiological and pharmacologically manipulated pressures (40-200 mmHg), the values of BP obtained by the two methods were highly correlated (all r > 0.966; all P < or = 0.0001). However, the mean differences between the values obtained by the two systems were different from zero (range +29.6 to -1.5 mmHg; P < or = 0.0001), indicating an offset in the BP values recorded from the implanted system. Furthermore, this offset was dependent on the absolute level of the BP. The findings indicate that, for a period of at least 28 wk and up to 75 wk after implantation, the telemetry system accurately measures acute changes in BP and can reliably measure absolute BP provided that the system is properly validated.