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The Dicrotic Notch: Mechanisms, Characteristics, and Clinical Correlations

  • Interventional Cardiology (SR Bailey and T Helmy, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Cardiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The dicrotic notch (DN) has long been considered a marker of arterial stiffness and compliance. Herein, we explored the recent developments in vascular medicine research in an attempt to assess the DN utility in clinical cardiovascular medicine.

Recent Findings.

Since its discovery, several studies have attempted to measure the changes in different parameters of the DN in physiological and pathological states. Despite the significance of their findings, the clinical role of the DN remained limited. This may have been related to the difficulty of measuring the DN via indwelling arterial catheters in the past. However, over the past two decades, several non-invasive methods have been developed, which may re-ignite interest in DN research.

Summary

The DN may have broader applications in clinical cardiovascular medicine. Further research is needed to establish the accuracy of DN non-invasive measurement methods and compare its prognostic value to other circulatory parameters.

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Author notes

  1. Abdelrahman Abushouk and Tikal Kansara contributed equally to the manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Abdelrahman Abushouk, Pulkit Chaudhury & Samir R. Kapadia

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Abdelrahman Abushouk

  3. Department of Hospital Medicine, Union Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Dover, OH, USA

    Tikal Kansara

  4. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA

    Omar Abdelfattah

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Osamah Badwan & Essa Hariri

  6. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Essa Hariri

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Correspondence to Samir R. Kapadia.

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Abushouk, A., Kansara, T., Abdelfattah, O. et al. The Dicrotic Notch: Mechanisms, Characteristics, and Clinical Correlations. Curr Cardiol Rep 25, 807–816 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-023-01901-x

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