title: Arterial elasticity in cardiovascular disease: focus on hypertension, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.
abstract: Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for premature cardiovascular morbidity and mortality that can be evaluated by noninvasive methods and can be reduced by good clinical management. The present chapter examines the association between arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, advanced renal failure, hypercholesterolemia and obesity. The mechanisms responsible for the structural and functional modifications of the arterial wall are also described. We deal with parameters related to arterial compliance, focusing on two of them, pulse wave velocity and the augmentation index, useful in rapid assessment of arterial compliance by the bedside. Data that highlight the role of aortic pulse wave velocity and the augmentation index as independent factors in predicting fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events in different populations are briefly presented. A number of lifestyle changes and traditional antihypertensive agents that improve arterial compliance are finally discussed. Novel therapies, such as statins, thiazolidindinediones, phosphodiesterase inhibitors and inhibitors or breakers of advanced glycation end product cross-links between colagen and elastin hold substantial promise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, and The Brunner Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel.
authors.forename: Relu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cernes
authors.forename: Reuven
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimlichman
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shargorodsky
mesh_terms: D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D004549:Elastin / Q000502:physiology; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases / Q000378:metabolism; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000502:physiology; D011674:Pulse
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D011509:Proteoglycans; D004549:Elastin; D020782:Matrix Metalloproteinases