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Arterial Stiffness and Hypertension - Which Comes First?
Monica Ecobici1, Claudiu Stoicescu1
1Clinic of Internal Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.
Insights
Arterial stiffness is a key predictor of cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients. This review explores its mechanisms, assessment, and therapeutic strategies for better hypertension management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Medicine
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Arterial hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor.
- Arterial stiffness independently predicts cardiovascular disease in hypertensive individuals.
- Risk factors for hypertension and arterial stiffness share common pathways.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review novel mechanisms, assessment methods, clinical aspects, and therapeutic implications of arterial stiffness.
- To emphasize the importance of assessing arterial stiffness in hypertension management.
- To highlight the role of comorbidities in arterial stiffness progression.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on arterial stiffness in hypertension.
- Discussion of pulse wave velocity (PWV) as the gold standard for assessment.
- Exploration of factors influencing arterial stiffness development and progression.
Main Results:
- Arterial stiffness is a significant prognostic factor for cardiovascular events in hypertension.
- European Society of Hypertension recognized the importance of assessing arterial stiffness in 2007.
- Multiple factors, including comorbidities like diabetes and chronic kidney disease, contribute to arterial stiffness.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness assessment is crucial in managing patients with hypertension.
- Lifestyle and pharmacological interventions may positively impact arterial stiffness, warranting further investigation.
- Understanding arterial stiffness mechanisms and therapeutic targets is vital for cardiovascular disease prevention.
Abstract:
Arterial hypertension is one of the traditional risk factors involved in the development of cardiovascular events, while arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease in patients with hypertension. It seems that the risk factors involved in the pathology of uncontrolled hypertension are similar to those that contribute to the development of arterial stiffness. After evidence showed that arterial stiffness is an independent prognostic factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with arterial hypertension, the importance of assessing arterial stiffness was recognized in a document drafted by the European Society of Hypertension in 2007. Many factors, some still insufficiently studied, are involved in the development and worsening of arterial stiffness, especially in patients with certain comorbidities (diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease). The evaluation of pulse wave velocity (PWV) remains the gold standard for non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness. It seems that changes in terms of lifestyle and drug therapy have some positive effects on improving arterial stiffness, but further studies are needed to prove this concept. Our review aims to highlight the novelty of the mechanisms, the assessment methods, some of the clinical aspects, as well as the therapeutic implications of arterial stiffness, especially in patients with hypertension.
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