Arterial Flow, Pulse Pressure and Pulse Wave Velocity in Men and Women at Various Ages

Abstract

The increase in pulse pressure (PP) that occurs with advancing age is predominantly due to reduced arterial distensibility leading to decreased aortic compliance, particularly in the elderly, in whom high blood pressure mainly manifests as isolated systolic hypertension. Since age-related changes in stroke volume are minimal compared with changes in PP, PP is often considered a surrogate measure of arterial stiffness. However, since PP is determined by both cardiac and arterial function, a more precise and reliable means of assessment of arterial stiffness is arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV), a parameter that is only dependent on arterial properties. Arterial stiffness as measured by PWV has been found to be a powerful pressure-related indicator for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We analyzed PP and PWV in men and women of various age groups in healthy volunteers as well as cardiac patients with different types of diseases. The findings identified several striking sex-specific differences which demand consideration in guidelines for diagnostic procedures, for epidemiological analysis, and in evaluation of therapeutic interventions.

Cardiorespiratory fitness diminishes the effects of age on white matter hyperintensity volume

“…Age-related arterial dysfunction is the result of a variety of deleterious changes that include intimal remodeling [9], increased arterial stiffness [10,11], and endothelial dysfunction [12,13]. Age-related changes in the physical properties of, and the interaction between, macro and a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 microvasculature contribute to the development of WMHs [14][15][16][17].…”

Association of pulse pressure with all-cause mortality in young adults

“…A previous study showed that there were gender and age differences in PP. 30 Our study found that there was an inverse association between PP and age in young adults who did not take antihypertensive drugs. In addition, data from 71 629 untreated normotensive individuals demonstrated that PP has distinct characteristics affecting all-cause mortality, and PP may integrate the effects of age and gender on all-cause mortality.…”

Estimation of Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity from Doppler Radar Measurements: a Feasibility Study

“…The carotid-femoral pulse transit time (cfPTT) is 125 milli-seconds for this cardiac cycle, and for a straight-line distance of 70 centimeters between both the regions, this result in an effective PWV of 5.6 meters per second. The PWV estimates derived using the Doppler radar measurements fall within the normal range for healthy adults [11].…”