Overview of Arterial Stiffness

Abstract

Arterial stiffness is a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease resulting from functional and structural changes within arteries. Greater arterial stiffening places negative consequences on the heart, because greater effort is required for the myocardium to overcome the resultant increase in afterload. While the etiology of arterial stiffness is not entirely clear, aging appears to be the principal accelerator of the functional and structural remodeling that occurs in the arteries after the third decade of life. Importantly, arterial stiffness can be easily assessed with potential for routine clinical measurement.