Estimating Is Not Measuring: The Lessons About Estimated Pulse Wave Velocity

Abstract

rterial stiffness is a key indicator of cardiovascular health. It has been repeatedly associated with mortality, cardiovascular events, and stroke in all tested populations from hypertension, heart failure, diabetes to community- based populations. 1 Elevated arterial stiffness is also associated with incident cases of hypertension. 2 Altogether, arterial stiffness is indic-ative of generalized vascular vulnerability. Arterial stiffness can be measured non- invasively by carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), as a direct mea-sure of aortic stiffness using tonometry as reference. Alternatively, pulse wave velocity (PWV) can be measured through cuffs at arm and leg, or combinations of previous techniques, but also by ultrasound or mag-netic resonance imaging. Our a blood