We studied a number of dynamic events associated with the pulsatile flow of blood in the pulmonary arterial system of six healthy men in the supine position. We used the nitrous oxide-body plethysmograph method to record the pulmonary capillary blood flow pulse and the phonocardiogram to determine the time of opening and closing of the pulmonary valve. The pattern of right ventricular ejection ...

OBJECTIVE C-reactive protein (CRP) levels predict outcome in healthy individuals and patients with atherosclerosis. Arterial stiffness also independently predicts all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and may be involved in the process of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between stiffness and inflammation in a cohort of healthy individuals. METHODS A...

Aerobic exercise training increases arterial compliance and reduces systolic blood pressure, but the effects of muscular strength training on arterial mechanical properties are unknown. We compared blood pressure, whole body arterial compliance, aortic impedance, aortic stiffness (measured by beta-index and carotid pulse pressure divided by normalized systolic expansion [Ep]), pulse wave veloci...

INTRODUCTION Uncalibrated arterial pulse power analysis has been recently introduced for continuous monitoring of cardiac index (CI). The aim of the present study was to compare the accuracy of arterial pulse power analysis with intermittent transpulmonary thermodilution (TPTD) before and after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). METHODS Forty-two patients scheduled for elective coronary surgery we...

The beating heart creates blood pressure and flow pulsations that propagate as waves through the arterial tree that are reflected at transitions in arterial geometry and elasticity. Waves carry information about the matter in which they propagate. Therefore, modeling of arterial wave propagation extends our knowledge about the functioning of the cardiovascular system and provides a means to dia...

To the Editor: The concerns raised by Lantelme et al1 about the relationship between heart rate and pulse wave velocity (PWV) properly apply to the method they employed, not to the conventional method, nor to the long-established relationship between PWV and arterial stiffness. Lantelme et al used Complior, as did the 3 other studies (Lantelme references 8, 15, 17), which appeared to show incre...

During the past ten years there have accumulated in this laboratory a large number of records of the arterial pressure pulses taken with the Hypodermic Manometer (4). These are faithful records of the changes in the pressure of the blood in various arteries of man and of other animals. The form of the pressure pulse curve is quite variable. Some of the types are drawn roughly to scale in the fi...

Vascular reactivity may affect the stiffness characteristics of the arterial wall. We investigated the association between forearm microcirculatory and conduit artery function and measures of arterial stiffness in 527 asymptomatic non-Hispanic white adults without known cardiovascular disease. High-resolution ultrasonography of the brachial artery (ba) was performed to assess forearm microcircu...