Die arterielle Compliance (Gefäßsteifigkeit) zur Aufdeckung einer subklinischen Atherosklerose

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease are the leading cause for morbidity and mortality in industrial countries. Current evidence shows that stiffening of the arterial wall is one major mechanism responsible for this morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular disease. Various physiological and pathophysiological parameters influence arterial stiffening including age, gender, blood pressure, smoking, and diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, renal failure, and hypercholesterolemia. Thus, the assessment of arterial stiffness has become a widely used tool to investigate the function of the arteries in epidemiologic and clinical studies. Traditionally, arterial stiffness has been assessed by pulse wave velocity, a noninvasive parameter which has been shown to predict cardiovascular mortality. In addition, pulse wave analysis has been increasingly used to determine the augmentation index, a parameter that describes the effect of pulse wave reflection on the central aortic pressure configuration. In the present review, the pathophysiological contribution of arterial stiffening for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is described. Details of models, indices, and techniques used to evaluate stiffness will be presented. Clinical studies investigating the predictive value of stiffness markers in defining future cardiovascular risk and survival are summarized.

Venous Pulse Transit Time in Normal Pregnancy and Preeclampsia

“…20 Reported physiological/pathophysiological conditions with impact on PTT are genetic factors, age, gender, blood pressure, smoking, and diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, renal failure, and hypercholesterolaemia. [21][22][23] Abnormal PTT can be present before clinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease, and for this its value as a biomarker for prediction of cardiovascular disease is currently under investigation. 24,25 It is influenced by medications and can be used to assess pharmacodynamic effects and efficacy in clinical studies.…”

Effects of Different Exercise Interventions on Cardiac Autonomic Control and Secondary Health Factors in Middle-Aged Adults: A Systematic Review

“…Interestingly, isometric resistance training has been shown to improve cardiac autonomic control [70]. The absence of adaptability of the cardiac autonomic system might also be the result of the old age of the participants as an age-related increase of vascular stiffness induces negative effects on blood flow [71]. However, given the small number of studies, more research is necessary to elucidate the effects of resistance training in middle-aged adults.…”

The Association of Nocturnal Hypoxemia with Arterial Stiffness and Endothelial Dysfunction in Male Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

“…To assess the risk of atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness [5] or endothelial dysfunction [6,7] has been noninvasively measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) [8] or flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery [9], respectively. In predicting the risk of atherosclerosis of OSAS patients, arterial stiffness, compared to endothelial function, has been evaluated in only a few studies [10,11,12].…”