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(Hypertension. 1998;32:556-559.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Third Workshop on Structure and Function of Large Arteries: Part III

Determinants of Pulse Pressure

Nikos Stergiopulos; ; Nico Westerhof

From the Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland (N.S.); and Laboratory for Physiology, Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (N.W.).

Correspondence to N. Stergiopulos, PhD, Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, PSE-Ecublens, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. E-mail stergiopulos{at}eldp.epfl.ch

Abstract

Abstract—We have searched to define the major arterial parameters that determine aortic systolic (P_s) and diastolic (P_d) pressure in the dog. Measured aortic flows were used as input to the 2-element windkessel model of the arterial system, with peripheral resistance calculated as mean pressure divided by mean flow and total arterial compliance calculated from the decay time in diastole. The windkessel model yielded an aortic pressure wave from which we obtained the predicted systolic (P_s,wk) and diastolic (P_d,wk) pressures. These predicted pressures were compared with the measured systolic and diastolic pressures. The measurements and calculations were performed for 7 dogs under control conditions during aortic occlusion at 4 locations (the trifurcation, between the trifurcation and diaphragm, the diaphragm, and the proximal descending thoracic aorta) and during occlusion of both carotid arteries. Under all conditions studied, the predicted systolic and diastolic pressures matched the experimental ones very well: P_s,wk=(1.000±0.0055) P_s with r=0.958 and P_d,wk=(1.024±0.0035) P_d with r=0.995. Linear regression for pulse pressure (PP) resulted in PP_wk=(0.99±0.016) PP with r=0.911. We found the accuracy of prediction equally good under control conditions and in the presence of aortic or carotid artery occlusion. Multiple regression between pulse pressure and arterial resistance and total arterial compliance yielded a poor regression constant (R²=0.19), suggesting that the 2 arterial parameters alone cannot explain pulse pressure and that flow is an important determinant as well. We conclude that for a given ejection pattern (aortic flow), 2 arterial parameters, total arterial resistance and total arterial compliance, are sufficient to accurately describe systolic and diastolic aortic pressure.

Key Words: arterial compliance • vascular resistance • windkessel • cardiac output

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