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The detection and evaluation of vascular stiffness

ZHANG Jian-Rui, ZHOU Jing^*

Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University; Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Molecular Biology and Regulatory Peptides, National Health Commission; Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Receptors Research, Beijing 100191, China

Abstract

Cardiovascular homeostasis is regulated by both physical and chemical factors. Vascular stiffness, a physical property of vessel, is crucial in maintaining the physiological function of vasculature. Vascular stiffness has been indicated to be correlated with hypertension, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases. It has been the most widely accepted clinical index for assessment of vascular function and dysfunction. This paper reviews the commonly used experimental and clinical techniques for evaluating vascular stiffness including direct detection of the Young’s modulus and indirect detection method that is based on ultrasound technique and others. Principles of these methodologies, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, are also presented here. Researchers and clinical staff are encouraged to choose the most suitable methods for detecting vascular stiffness according to their purposes and objects, so as to effectively evaluate vascular function.

Key words: vascular stiffness; Young’s modulus; pulse wave velocity (PWV); augmentation index (AIx)

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 周菁　　E-mail: jzhou@bjmu.edu.cn

Citing This Article：

ZHANG Jian-Rui, ZHOU Jing. The detection and evaluation of vascular stiffness. Acta Physiol Sin 2022; 74 (6): 894-902 (in Chinese with English abstract).