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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Measuring Ascending Aortic Stiffness In Vivo in Mice Using Ultrasound
Published on: December 2, 2014
Can antihypertensive treatment reverse large-artery stiffening?
1Centre de Diagnostic et de Thérapeutique, Hôtel-Dieu 1 Place du Parvis Notre-Dame, Paris Cedex 04, France. michel.safar@htd.aphp.fr
Abstract:
In some controlled therapeutic trials for hypertension, a selective reduction of systolic blood pressure has been obtained with long-term treatment. The greatest effects on cardiovascular outcomes stem from a decrease of central blood pressure through a significant reduction of arterial stiffness, wave reflections, or both. Until now, all protocols have used angiotensin II blockade, mainly through angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition. Cardiovascular outcomes have been significantly improved when compared with controls, but most of them have been treated with beta blockers. Such "de-stiffening" therapies are important to consider and require additional trials.
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