The brachial artery pressure waveform is abnormal in smokers, but the effect of smoking on the aortic pressure waveform in both smokers and nonsmokers, particularly in the younger population, is unknown. We compared the acute and chronic effects of smoking on large-artery properties in 185 healthy young smokers and nonsmokers (mean+/-SD, 22+/-5 years). We matched 41 chronic smokers for age, hei...

The advocated SphygmoCor procedure uses a radial-to-aorta transfer function with calibration on brachial instead of radial artery pressure to assess the central pulse pressure. We compared these values with carotid artery pulse pressures obtained from a validated calibration method, assuming mean minus diastolic blood pressure constant throughout the large artery tree. From 44 healthy subjects ...

Background: A low ankle-brachial pressure index (an ABPI value <0.90) is considered predictive of cardiovascular disease, and is widely thought to increase morbidity and mortality in the elderly. However, good nutrition is beneficial both for the health and the ability to resist and recover from the disease. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between the an...

BACKGROUND Epidemiological data show that most community-dwelling men and women with lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) do not have typical symptoms of intermittent claudication. We compared the prevalence of intermittent claudication, leg symptoms other than intermittent claudication, and absence of exertional leg symptoms between patients with PAD identified from a blood flow l...

BACKGROUND If a validated questionnaire, when applied to patients reporting with symptoms of intermittent claudication, could adequately discriminate between those with and without peripheral arterial disease, GPs could avoid the diagnostic measurement of the ankle brachial index. AIM To investigate the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire (ECQ) in general practice and to develop a clinical d...

Brachial artery pulse pressure is a predictor of (cardiovascular) morbidity, but its determinants in individuals with Type II diabetes and untreated mild hypertension have not been elucidated. We therefore cross-sectionally investigated determinants of brachial artery mean 24 h pulse pressure in 60 individuals (40 males; age, mean +/- S.D., 57.8 +/- 7.5 years) with Type II diabetes [median diab...

Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated that isometric handgrip (IHG) training improved local, endothelium-dependent vasodilation in medicated hypertensives [McGowan CL (PhD Thesis), 2006; McGowan et al. Physiologist 47: 285, 2004]. We investigated whether changes in the capacity of smooth muscle to dilate (regardless of endothelial factors) influenced this training-induced change, and w...

This study tests the hypothesis that high brachial pulse pressure might constitute preclinical cardiovascular disease, rather than a risk factor. We studied 1250 subjects (472 nonobese normotensive [<135/80 mm Hg] and 778 untreated hypertensive). Central pulse pressure was estimated from brachial pulse pressure and age and divided by stroke volume (PP/SV). Brachial pulse pressure was considered...

BACKGROUND The present study analyses the relation between smoking status and the parameters used to assess vascular structure and function. METHODS This cross-sectional, multi-centre study involved a random sample of 1553 participants from the EVIDENT study. MEASUREMENTS The smoking status, peripheral augmentation index and ankle-brachial index were measured in all participants. In a small...