University of New South Wales

About: University of New South Wales is a education organization based out in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 51197 authors who have published 153634 publications receiving 4880608 citations. The organization is also known as: UNSW & UNSW Australia.

Aortic Diameter, Aortic Stiffness, and Wave Reflection Increase With Age and Isolated Systolic Hypertension

Abstract: The October 2004 High Blood Pressure Research Council meeting of the American Heart Association included a debate on the proposition that “aortic diameter, aortic stiffness, and wave reflection all increase with age and in isolated systolic hypertension.” This was stimulated by a series of articles1–5 that took a contrary position to change in aortic diameter and wave reflection and placed emphasis on aortic stiffness over wave reflection with aging and isolated systolic hypertension. The purpose of this review is to summarize the conventional view that has evolved over decades6–12 but is not precisely argued in recent literature. According to this view, early wave reflection from peripheral arteries is the dominant ill effect of aging and the most logical target for therapy.12–14 “Premature arterial senility” as a cardiovascular risk factor has long been of intense interest in actuarial studies, even before introduction of the cuff sphygmomanometer,6 as it had been in clinical medicine. The latter is apparent in the textbooks of Osler and Mackenzie >100 years ago.7,8 In these, premature arteriosclerotic change was assessed from the pulse waveform palpated at the wrist or measured from the radial artery by sphygmography. The first graphic recording studies of the arterial pulse by Marey in 18639 noted characteristic differences between young and old persons (Figure 1), with prominent late systolic augmentation (“tidal wave”) in the latter. Mahomed10,11 confirmed these changes in the 1870s, stressing that “the tidal wave is prolonged and too much sustained,” and noting similar pulse waveform changes in asymptomatic persons with elevated arterial pressure as well as in the elderly. By 1900, these findings were used by life insurance companies to decline applicants on the basis of premature arterial senility.6 Figure 1. Tracings from Marey’s original publication on the sphygmogram.9 Top, The …