Epidemiological aspects of pulse pressure and arterial stiffness

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure are considered to be exclusive haemodynamic predictors of cardiovascular risk in humans. If high blood pressure is characterized as a mechanical factor which acts on the arterial wall with deleterious consequences, then the totality of the blood pressure curve should be investigated to determine the risk. The purpose of this review is to show that, in addition to systolic and diastolic blood pressure, other haemodynamic variables should be taken into account; namely, brachial pulse pressure, pulse pressure amplification, aortic pulse wave velocity, and carotid incremental elastic modulus. These new components might modify our conventional views on antihypertensive agents and may serve to identify new potentially active molecules. J Hypertens 17 (suppl 5):S37-S40 (C) 1999 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.