This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 49/6/1202    most recent HYPERTENSIONAHA.106.076166v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Laurent, S. Articles by Boutouyrie, P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Laurent, S. Articles by Boutouyrie, P. Related Collections Remodeling Peripheral vascular disease Clinical Studies Doppler ultrasound, Transcranial Doppler etc.

(Hypertension. 2007;49:1202.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Hypertension Highlights

Recent Advances in Arterial Stiffness and Wave Reflection in Human Hypertension

From Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Department de Pharmacologie; INSERM, UMRS 872; and the Université Paris-Descartes, Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France.

Correspondence to Pr Stéphane Laurent, Department of Pharmacology and INSERM U652, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris 5, 20, rue Leblanc, 75015 Paris, France. E-mail stephane.laurent@egp.ap-hop-paris.fr

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
In recent years, great emphasis has been placed on the role of arterial stiffness and wave reflection in the development of cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Arterial stiffness and wave reflections, which are now well accepted as the most important determinants of increasing systolic and pulse pressures in aging societies, are increasingly used in the clinical assessment of patients with hypertension and various CV risk factors.^1,2 This review addresses recent advances in our understanding of the role played by arterial stiffness and wave reflection in the pathophysiology and treatment of human hypertension. According to the editorial rules for "Hypertension Highlights", and to better focus on recent research, apart from large clinical trials, only articles published during the last 2 years are quoted in this review.

	Determinants Of Arterial Stiffness: Role of Smooth Muscle Cells and Inflammation

 
Research on the molecular determinants of arterial stiffness has focused for years on the structure and amount of the main load bearing proteins: elastin and collagens.³ Indeed, aging and blood pressure, the two major determinants of arterial stiffness, are associated with a number of molecular changes of the load-bearing media of elastic arteries: the orderly arrangement of elastic fibers and laminae is gradually lost over time, and thinning, splitting, fraying, and fragmentation are observed. The degeneration of elastic fibers is associated with an increase in collagenous material and in ground substance, often accompanied by calcium deposition in ground substance and in degenerate elastic fibers.⁴

However, quantitative changes in elastin and collagen may not explain, by themselves, paradoxical observations. For instance, the changes in arterial wall material which . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C J Ferro, C D Chue, R P Steeds, and J N Townend Is lowering phosphate exposure the key to preventing arterial stiffening with age? Heart, November 1, 2009; 95(21): 1770 - 1772. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Cecelja, B. Jiang, K. McNeill, B. Kato, J. Ritter, T. Spector, and P. Chowienczyk Increased wave reflection rather than central arterial stiffness is the main determinant of raised pulse pressure in women and relates to mismatch in arterial dimensions: a twin study. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., August 18, 2009; 54(8): 695 - 703. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. W. Sanders Vascular consequences of dietary salt intake Am J Physiol Renal Physiol, August 1, 2009; 297(2): F237 - F243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. M. Nilsson, P. Boutouyrie, and S. Laurent Vascular Aging: A Tale of EVA and ADAM in Cardiovascular Risk Assessment and Prevention Hypertension, July 1, 2009; 54(1): 3 - 10. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. G. Denniss and J. W. E. Rush Impaired hemodynamics and endothelial vasomotor function via endoperoxide-mediated vasoconstriction in the carotid artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, April 1, 2009; 296(4): H1038 - H1047. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. W. Sanders Dietary Salt Intake, Salt Sensitivity, and Cardiovascular Health Hypertension, March 1, 2009; 53(3): 442 - 445. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Antonini-Canterin, S. Carerj, V. Di Bello, G. Di Salvo, S. La Carrubba, O. Vriz, D. Pavan, A. Balbarini, G. L. Nicolosi, and On behalf of the Research Group of the Italian Soc Arterial stiffness and ventricular stiffness: a couple of diseases or a coupling disease? A review from the cardiologist's point of view Eur J Echocardiogr, January 1, 2009; 10(1): 36 - 43. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. H.G. Henskens, A. A. Kroon, R. J. van Oostenbrugge, E. H.B.M. Gronenschild, M. M.J.J. Fuss-Lejeune, P. A.M. Hofman, J. Lodder, and P. W. de Leeuw Increased Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity Is Associated With Silent Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease in Hypertensive Patients Hypertension, December 1, 2008; 52(6): 1120 - 1126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Giannattasio, P. Salvi, F. Valbusa, A. Kearney-Schwartz, A. Capra, M. Amigoni, M. Failla, L. Boffi, F. Madotto, A. Benetos, et al. Simultaneous Measurement of Beat-to-Beat Carotid Diameter and Pressure Changes to Assess Arterial Mechanical Properties Hypertension, November 1, 2008; 52(5): 896 - 902. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. P. Delaney, C. N. Young, A. DiSabatino, M. E. Stillabower, and W. B. Farquhar Limb venous tone and responsiveness in hypertensive humans J Appl Physiol, September 1, 2008; 105(3): 894 - 901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Delahousse, M. Chaignon, L. Mesnard, P. Boutouyrie, M. E. Safar, T. Lebret, M. Pastural-Thaunat, L. Tricot, A. Kolko-Labadens, A. Karras, et al. Aortic Stiffness of Kidney Transplant Recipients Correlates with Donor Age J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., April 1, 2008; 19(4): 798 - 805. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Ghiadoni, G. Penno, C. Giannarelli, Y. Plantinga, M. Bernardini, L. Pucci, R. Miccoli, S. Taddei, A. Salvetti, and S. Del Prato Metabolic Syndrome and Vascular Alterations in Normotensive Subjects at Risk of Diabetes Mellitus Hypertension, February 1, 2008; 51(2): 440 - 445. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Savoia, R. M. Touyz, F. Amiri, and E. L. Schiffrin Selective Mineralocorticoid Receptor Blocker Eplerenone Reduces Resistance Artery Stiffness in Hypertensive Patients Hypertension, February 1, 2008; 51(2): 432 - 439. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. S. DeLoach and R. R. Townsend Vascular Stiffness: Its Measurement and Significance for Epidemiologic and Outcome Studies Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., January 1, 2008; 3(1): 184 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]