Terminology for describing the elastic behavior of arteries.

The Current State The ability to characterize and quantify the elastic behavior of arteries has become increasingly important, because its application has broadened from basic physiology to clinical domains and the prediction of cardiovascular risk. Consequently, it is imperative that terminology to communicate across these disciplines is consistent and meaningful. In 1960, Peterson et al1 suggested coining a new definition of elastic modulus, the ratio of stress to strain, in terms of the pulse pressure, P, and the directly measurable parameters D and D (diameter). This has subsequently become known as Peterson’s modulus (Ep), where