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DRUG EFFECTS ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF LARGE ARTERIES IN HUMANS
Author(s) -
Hope Sarah A,
Hughes Alun D
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
clinical and experimental pharmacology and physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 103
eISSN - 1440-1681
pISSN - 0305-1870
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1681.2007.04661.x
Subject(s) - arterial stiffness , arterial wall , pulse wave velocity , drug , blood pressure , medicine , in vivo , stiffness , cardiology , biology , materials science , pharmacology , microbiology and biotechnology , composite material
SUMMARY1 Arteries become stiffer with increasing age and various disease states. A complete description of arterial mechanical properties in vivo is not possible, although a number of methods have been used. 2 Detailed discussion in the present review is limited to pulse wave velocity and estimates of central waveform morphology derived by the application of a generalized arterial transfer function. 3 Many drugs affect these parameters, either increasing or decreasing apparent stiffness. However, the extent to which changes reflect changes in blood pressure rather than more fundamental vessel wall properties remains unclear. Similarly, it is as yet unknown whether determining the need for, or assessing the effectiveness of, drug treatment by the assessment of arterial mechanical properties will offer any advantage and the usefulness of these techniques as routine clinical tools remains to be established.