Assessment of arterial wall stiffness by 24-hour blood pressure monitoring

Arterial wall stiffness is an early marker of cardiovascular diseases. The gold standard for assessment of the stiffness of large vessels is presently pulse wave velocity (PWV). Work is in progress on the study of the reference values of PWV in people of different genders and ages. 24-hour blood pressure (BP) monitoring is not only a procedure that can estimate diurnal BP variability, but also monitor the indicators of vascular wall stiffness in a number of cases over a 24-hour period. The given review highlights the pathophysiology of arterial stiffness, methods for its assessment, and the aspects of use in therapeutic practice.