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The difficulty that is experienced by most Chinese language teachers is to determine which Chinese language textbooks are suitable to be applied to Indonesian learners. In Indonesia, most of the Chinese books, including the Chinese Semantic textbooks, are still in full Chinese or English. Learning Chinese...

Background: Sex differences in arterial stiffness and wave reflections may lead to disproportionate increases in afterload and myocardial work in women. We examined sex differences in arterial stiffness, pressure from wave reflections, measures of left ventricular (LV) energetics and myocardial work. Methods:...

As a two-dimensional (2D) nanostructure, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has high specific surface area and excellent conductivity. In this paper, we obtain the TiO2/rGO (TG) composite via a simple mechanical stirring the mixtures of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets followed...

Introduction: To the best of our knowledge, any studies evaluated potential influence on peripheral arterial stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), of percoutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and stenting. Methods: 150 patients were enrolled and underwent coronary angiography. In 68 patients...

Background: Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an inhibitor of nitric oxide production and is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Elevated plasma levels of ADMA have been demonstrated in patients with hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between ADMA...

Elevated aortic pulse wave velocity (aoPWV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are, however, no widely accepted normal or reference values for aoPWV. The aim of this work was to define these values. Patients and methods: AoPWV was assessed in several patient...

Introduction: Arterial tree alteration is the cornerstone of diabetes complications and its mechanical parameters are impaired. Objective: Which are aortic pulse wave velocity determinants in a diabetic population? Methods: We studied 132 diabetic patients. They entered the day hospital to have a cardiovascular...

Increased arterial stiffness abnormal ventricular-vascular coupling have increasingly been recognized as playing an important pathophysiologic role in HF, both systolic and with normal ejection fraction. Aim: to assess and compare arterial stiffness, central blood pressure parameters in systolic heart...

Ankle brachial index (ABI) has increasingly been used in general practice to identify patients with low ABI at high cardiovascular risk. However there is no consensus on the clinical significance of high ABI. The aim of our study was to compare large artery stiffness as a marker of cardiovascular risk...

Objective: Arterial stiffness is one of the main determinants of the workload of the left ventricle. Amino-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is released by cardiomyocytes in response to left ventricular wall stress. The aim of this study was to investigate whether arterial stiffness...

Purpose: Adipocytokines secreted by adipose tissue play an important role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Arterial stiffness represents an important novel risk factor of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the association between elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, adipocytokines,...

Introduction: Hypertension and renal dysfunction are associated with increased arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is a marker of cardiovascular disease and predictor of cardiovascular risk. We assessed the relationship between renal function and arterial stiffness in never-treated hypertensives. Methods:...

Recent follow-up studies showed no change or even short-term improvement of arterial stiffness after kidney transplantation. Data from general population and end-stage renal disease patients suggest, that PWV increases with age of 0,07–0,08m/s for each year of life. It was shown recently that reduced...

Purpose: It is well known that regular moderate aerobic exercise has a beneficial effect on cardiovascular risk, although the impact of long-term intense aerobic training has not been defined. Aortic stiffness and wave reflections are independent predictors of cardiovascular risk. In this study we assessed...

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the development of renal cysts related to polycystin mutations in the tubular wall leading to renal failure. Moreover, patients with ADPKD also display early cardiovascular complications including hypertension and aneurysms before...

The objective was to study the changes in vascular function of HIV-1 (subtype C) infected black Africans over three years. In a longitudinal study (2005–2008) we compared the vascular function of 140 HIV+ (newly diagnosed) black Africans from the North-West province, South Africa. Seventy seven of the...

For given levels of blood pressure (BP), people with ‘stiffer’ (less distensible) large arteries develop more cardiovascular (CVS) events, as is typical of diabetes. South Asians (SA) develop excess mortality from all CVS disease, African-Caribbeans (AfC) lower overall mortality despite more hypertension...

Introduction: The difference between systolic blood pressure (SBP) measured in clinic and during the daytime phase of ambulatory BP measurement (ABPM) (Δclinic-day ABPM SBP) has been used as a measure of white-coat effect. We hypothesised that this was mediated through increased aortic stiffness resulting...

Purpose: Erectile dysfunction (ED) may be an early manifestation of generalized vascular disease. Cigarette smoking is an important modifiable cardiovascular risk factor and pathophysiological mechanisms may include a stiff vascular tree. The association of smoking with ED and functional changes in smokers...

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. The specificity of each component of metabolic syndrome improves its management. Objective: Do patients with MetS have arterial modifications? Which MetS components are they most closely linked to? Materials and methods:...

Purpose: Men with metabolic syndrome (MetS) have an increased prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED). Large artery stiffness is a marker of vascular wall changes associated with MetS. Aim of the study was to investigate associations between MetS, ED and changes in large artery properties. Methods:...

Both endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness are considered as independent predictors of cardiovascular mortality, but their interrelationship has been poorly explored. Therefore we evaluated the relationship between endothelial function and pulse wave velocity (PWV) in essential hypertensive...

There is some evidence that in MetS increase of arterial stiffness may be distributed over muscular and the elastic arteries not uniformly. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the MS and arterial stiffness of both elastic and muscular arteries in middle aged individuals. Methods:...

Objective: The aim of the study was to asses the relationship between structural (IMT- intima-media thickness) and functional (PWV - pulse wave velocity, SBP - systolic blood pressure, PP - pulse pressure) parameters of the large arterial damage and the mean blood flow velocity (CBFV) in middle cerebral...

Objectives: To compare the effect of Subclavian Flap Repair (SFR) versus end-to-end anastomosis (EEA) on arterial stiffness and systolic blood pressure in young children with aortic coarctation. Methods: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured using a pulse volume recording technique (Vicorder, Skidmore...

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease indicated by blood sugar level disorder and also influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Many diabetes patients experience dyslipidemia, which is known as diabetic dyslipidemia. In the latest research, SLC2A1 gene polymorphism is strongly...

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) on endothelial function, aortic and carotid stiffness, and wave reflection in a population living in the Chernobyl area at the time of 1986 blast, treated with thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Methods: 23 subjects (age 26±3 years,...

Purpose: Aortic stiffness and wave reflections are determinants of left ventricular performance and independent predictors of cardiovascular risk. Though it is well recognized that regular aerobic exercise can affect arterial stiffness and wave reflections, the acute effect of intense aerobic exercise...

Background: We have previously shown increased arterial stiffness using aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in patients with COPD. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) (exercise, education and nutritional advice) has respiratory and functional benefits, though effects on cardiovascular (CV) risk have not been...

Arterial stiffness (AS) and central BP (CBP) are new «target-objects» for Antihypertensive Therapy (AT), but the possibility to correction these parameters on nonmedicament treatment is discussed. Aim: To research the possibilities of correction of AS and CBP by AT and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure...

Background: Vascular load is an important determinant of ventricular function. Understanding the physiologic basis of vascular load is central to the development of new strategies and drugs to treat HF. Aim: to evaluate arterial stiffness, endothelial function, clinical status at baseline and in 6 months...

Purpose: A decrease in aortic stiffness could theoretically occur after several years of treatment but reduction has never been unequivocally demonstrated in clinical practice. Association with changes in blood pressure remained unclear. Methods: This longitudinal observational study was conducted in...

Background. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk that is not explained by traditional cardiovascular risk factors, as well as an increased arterial stiffness. In this study, we investigated the relationship between inflammation and arterial stiffening and...

Background: prolonged circulatory unloading associated with head-down tilt bed rest (HDTBR) is followed by cardiovascular deconditioning. Aim of the study was to investigate to what extent large artery function and arterial-ventricular coupling (VA) are involved. Methods: ten healthy male volunteers...

The continuous monitoring of arterial stiffness during pharmacological and dynamic stress is an intriguing and partially unexplored topic. In this work we present a new method for the continuous assessment of the aortic-to-carotid pulse transit time (PTT), which is inversely proportional to the pulse...

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. However, PWV is usually determined between the carotid and femoral sites, ignoring the proximal ascending aorta which may stiffen most with age. We tested this hypothesis by assessing regional PWV and aortic diameter...

Background: Despite the introduction of arterial stiffness measurements in the recommendation of the European Societies for Hypertension and Cardiology, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) are still not used routinely in clinical practice. Possibly, current techniques, although non-invasive,...

Windkessel (WK) models have often been used to simulate the arterial circulation. We studied a critical characteristic of WK function, the arterial pressure-decay constant tau, to test whether all arterial regions share the same WK characteristics, which should theoretically be related to arterial stiffness....

Objective. Whilst the effects of heart rate (HR) on the cardiovascular system have been studied cross-sectionally or during exercise, the effect of acute, sympathetic-independent changes in HR on arterial stiffness, cardiac output (CO), mean pressure (MAP) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) has not...

Objective. Hypertension is a frequent side effect of antiangiogenic drugs (AAD). Targeting VEGF pathway may also affect large and small artery properties, along with or independently of blood pressure changes. We hypothesized that large and small artery property changes in response to AAD reflect their...

It is known that telomere length (TL) shortening is a marker of cell aging, which accelerated and progresses in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), despite the patient’s age, leading to the vascular aging. The aim of the study was to compare the vascular and cellular aging in patients with and without...

Background. Arterial stiffness is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is considered as the ‘gold standard’ measurement method. However cfPWV does not assess the stiffness of the proximal aorta and its sensitivity at higher...

Arterial stiffness (AS) is generally measured by regional arterial pulse wave velocity (rPWV) or locally by arterial distensibility. Although often used interchangeably, some studies show a weak correlation between these well accepted AS index depending on population. Thus, we aim to investigate in an...

Background: Aortic elasticity properties (aortic distensibility, compliance, elastic modulus, and stiffness index) can be evaluated by cross-sectional thoracic aorta areas measurements at 2 times of the cardiac cycle (peak systolic and end-diastolic phases) with PC-cine MRI series. Pulse wave velocity...

Background: Abdominal obesity is a clinical setting recognized as a difficult situation to assess transcutaneous pulse wave velocity (PWV). PWV measurement between carotid and femoral sites is considered as the gold standard measurement of aortic stiffness. Arterial stiffness is an important parameter...