New 2007 European Society of Hypertension guidelines recommend measuring arterial stiffness in patients with arterial hypertension, suggesting a carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity over 12 m/s as an estimate of subclinical organ damage. Considering this cutoff point, it is worth exploring whether or not there are significant differences in results obtained using various techniques for measuring aortic pulse wave velocity. The aim of the study was to compare aortic pulse wave velocity measurements using Complior, SphygmoCor, and Arteriograph devices, and to assess the effect of pulse wave transit time and traveled distance on pulse wave velocity values. Aortic pulse wave velocity was measured on a single visit, using these devices, in randomized order, in a group of 64 patients with grade 1 or 2 arterial hypertension. Aortic pulse wave velocity measured using Complior (10.1 +/- 1.7 m/s) was significantly higher than that obtained using SphygmoCor (8.1 +/- 1.1 m/s) or Arteriograph (8.6 +/- 1.3 m/s). No differences were noted between pulse wave velocity measurements using SphygmoCor and Arteriograph. Between-method comparison revealed that differences in traveled distance were significant: Complior versus Arteriograph [0.09 m, Confidence interval (CI): 0.08-0.12 m, P < 0.05], Complior versus SphygmoCor (0.15 m, CI: 0.13-0.16 m, P < 0.05), Arteriograph versus SphygmoCor (0.05 m, CI: 0.03-0.07 m, P < 0.05). No between-method differences were found for transit times. Differences in pulse wave velocity obtained by compared devices resulted primarily from using various methods for measuring traveled distance. It appears reasonable to establish uniform principles for the measurement of traveled distance. Because a large number of prognosis/survival studies used direct distance between carotid and femoral sites of pulse wave recording, this distance should be mostly recommended.

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a prognostic factor in arterial hypertension. Modification of PWV, apart from blood pressure (BP) lowering seems to be important in the evaluation of antihypertensive drugs. One of the underlying causes arterial stiffening is arterial wall fibrosis. Plasma collagen I metabolites: carboxy (PICP) and amino (PINP) propeptides are considered as a valuable approach in the assessment of arterial fibrosis. The purpose of the present study was to compare changes in BP, PWV, plasma aldosterone, and collagen metabolites after treatment with amlodipine, quinapril, and losartan. One hundred eighteen patients with mild-to-moderate essential arterial hypertension were randomized to treatment with 10 mg/d of amlodipine (group 1), 20 mg/d of quinapril (group 2), or 2 x 50 mg/d of losartan (group 3). At baseline, and after 3 and 6 months analysis of variance was performed to compare changes in BP, PWV, aldosterone, PICP, and PINP among subjects with adequate BP control on monotherapy (group 1, n = 38, group 2, n = 37, group 3, n = 24). Blood pressure decreased equally in all groups. Among patients with comparable BP values on monotherapy, only quinapril-treated patients showed a significant decrease in PWV, aldosterone, and PICP as compared with baseline values. Multiple regression analysis showed that PWV was significantly affected by: age (beta = 0.36; P =.021), systolic BP (beta = 0.45; P =.014), and PICP (beta = 0.27; P =.038). In hypertensive subjects PWV depends on age, systolic BP, and collagen synthesis. Of the three drugs with comparable BP-lowering efficacy only quinapril significantly decreases PWV, plasma aldosterone, and PICP.

In a cross-sectional analysis of a case-control study in 2015, we revealed the association between increased arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity) and aircraft noise exposure. In June 2020, we evaluated the long-term effects, and the impact of a sudden decline in noise exposure during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown, on blood pressure and pulse wave velocity, comparing 74 participants exposed to long-term day-evening-night aircraft noise level > 60 dB and 75 unexposed individuals. During the 5-year follow-up, the prevalence of hypertension increased in the exposed (42% versus 59%, P =0.048) but not in the unexposed group. The decline in noise exposure since April 2020 was accompanied with a significant decrease of noise annoyance, 24-hour systolic (121.2 versus 117.9 mm Hg; P =0.034) and diastolic (75.1 versus 72.0 mm Hg; P =0.003) blood pressure, and pulse wave velocity (10.2 versus 8.8 m/s; P =0.001) in the exposed group. Less profound decreases of these parameters were noticed in the unexposed group. Significant between group differences were observed for declines in office and night-time diastolic blood pressure and pulse wave velocity. Importantly, the difference in the reduction of pulse wave velocity between exposed and unexposed participants remained significant after adjustment for covariates (−1.49 versus −0.35 m/s; P =0.017). The observed difference in insomnia prevalence between exposed and unexposed individuals at baseline was no more significant at follow-up. Thus, long-term aircraft noise exposure may increase the prevalence of hypertension and accelerate arterial stiffening. However, even short-term noise reduction, as experienced during the COVID-19 lockdown, may reverse those unfavorable effects.

The present analysis was undertaken to evaluate postprandial (PP) changes in blood pressure (BP) assessed with ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) in elderly subjects with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) on conventional measurement. A total of 530 patients (335 women and 195 men, aged 60–100 years, median 70 years) who performed an ABPM during the placebo run-in period of the Syst-Eur trial were included into the analysis. The PP changes in BP and heart rate (HR) were calculated by subtracting the mean systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and HR in the 2 h preceding the main meal from the corresponding means covering the 2 h after the meal. The reproducibility of the postprandial fall in BP and heart rate (PPH) was assessed by contrasting the first and second ABPM in a subgroup of 147 patients who performed two ABPM’s during the placebo run-in period. The mean SBP and DBP decreased and reached the nadir 2 h after the main meal while HR did not change. When PPH was assessed by comparing BP in the 2 h before and after the meal, both SBP and DBP decreased significantly (respectively −6.6 mm Hg, −5.4 mm Hg; P < 0.001). in 67.6% of all patients a decrease in sbp was observed and in 24.1% it exceeded 16 mm hg. the corresponding values for dbp were 71.3% and 24.5% (dbp decreased more than 12 mm hg). a greater fall in dbp was associated with a greater decrease in hr (r = 0.20, P < 0.001), while changes in sbp and hr were not interrelated. regression analysis did not identify any significant covariate of pph. group means of pph could be reproduced without significant changes in their values, but the within-subject reproducibility of the pp changes was low. there were no differences in pph according to the place of residence of the patients. in conclusion, the descriptive analysis of the meal-induced changes in abpm in elderly subjects with ish showed that in every day circumstances most of them experience falls in both sbp and dbp within 2 h after the meal.

To assess the effect of selected clinical and biochemical parameters, with particular consideration of familial hypertension, on the pulse wave velocity (PWV) in young normotensives. Seventy voluntary students were enrolled (mean age 22.3 ± 2.1 years), 39 men and 31 women, with normal blood pressure. A history was obtained with respect to diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, lipid disorders and arterial hypertension in the family. The subjects were subdivided into two groups: those with (n = 33) and without (n = 37) a family history of arterial hypertension, and blood pressure and heart rate were measured three times and total cholesterol and its subfractions determined in plasma. The carotid to femoral PWV was measured using an automatic computerized recorder and analysed by the Complior® program. The subjects with a family history of arterial hypertension had higher blood pressure levels (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure), as well as mean body mass index and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The PWV in this group did not differ from that in the subjects without a family history of arterial hypertension (9.69 ± 2.8 versus 9.32 ± 2.0). However, the PWV was significantly higher in males than females (10.62 ± 2.2 versus 7.86 ± 1.13, P < 0.0001) and there was a significant positive correlation between male gender and PWV. Familial arterial hypertension does not significantly affect aortic stiffness in terms of PWV. Male gender in this population of young healthy subjects is one of the most important factors associated with central arterial stiffness.