Studies in animals and humans have documented that the sympathetic nervous system
exerts a powerful excitatory influence on cardiovascular structure such as the heart and the …

This chapter addresses the complex relationship between sympathetic activity and the main
factors affecting arterial distensibility. Sympathetic nervous system is considered one of the …

Arterial distensibility is more frequently being used as a measure of arterial function,
because it reflects mechanical properties of the arterial wall that have a clear-cut clinical …

A large amount of data collected in the past few years supports the notion that heart rate
(HR) is an important determinant of the mechanical properties of the arterial vessels and …

Purpose of review: This review is intended to provide the background for a broad view of the
influence of large-artery stiffness on the development of hypertension in aging, diabetes and …

Hypertension is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease1 and the
benefits of reducing blood pressure in this condition are now well established. An important …

Increasingly, in recent years, the stiffness of large elastic arteries has been recognized as a
major determinant of vascular function and cardiovascular risk. 1, 2 The distally propagating …

Historically, arteries were considered to be passive conduits of blood; today, they are viewed
as complex, active participants in cardiovascular function, including abnormalities in blood …

Under normal circumstances arteries, especially the larger elastic ones, distend during
systole, and hence are able to store volume energy during this phase of the cardiac cycle. In …

Arterial stiffness (Alx) is recognized as an important prognostic index and potential
therapeutic target in patients with hypertension. However, its pathophysiological mechanism …