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Predictive Value of Arterial Stiffness for Cardiovascular Events

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Blood Pressure and Arterial Wall Mechanics in Cardiovascular Diseases

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Abstract

A major reason for measuring arterial stiffness “routinely” in clinical practice comes from the recent demonstration that arterial stiffness has an independent predictive value for cardiovascular events. Several longitudinal epidemiological studies have demonstrated the predictive value of arterial stiffness as intermediate endpoints, i.e. the higher the arterial stiffness, the higher the number of cardiovascular events. The largest amount of evidence has been given for aortic stiffness, measured through carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity which is considered as gold standard. Aortic stiffness has independent predictive value for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, fatal and nonfatal coronary events and fatal strokes not only in patients with uncomplicated essential hypertension but also in patients with type 2 diabetes or end-stage renal disease, in elderly subjects and in the general population. Currently, as many as 21 studies consistently showed the independent predictive value of aortic stiffness for fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events in various populations. Aortic stiffness can thus be considered as an intermediate endpoint for cardiovascular events.

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INSERM (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale), Assistance-Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U970(Eq7)-PARCC, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris-Descartes, 20-40- rue Leblanc, Paris, 75015, France

    Stéphane Laurent MD, PhD & Pierre Boutouyrie MD, PhD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Francesco Mattace Raso MD, PhD

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  1. Stéphane Laurent MD, PhD
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  2. Pierre Boutouyrie MD, PhD
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  3. Francesco Mattace Raso MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Stéphane Laurent MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hôtel-Dieu Hospital Diagnosis and Therapeutics Center, Paris Descartes University, Paris, Paris, France

    Michel E. Safar

  2. St Vincent Clinic and Hospital, University of New South Wales, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Michael F. O'Rourke

  3. Department of Cardiology, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Edward D. Frohlich

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Laurent, S., Boutouyrie, P., Raso, F.M. (2014). Predictive Value of Arterial Stiffness for Cardiovascular Events. In: Safar, M., O'Rourke, M., Frohlich, E. (eds) Blood Pressure and Arterial Wall Mechanics in Cardiovascular Diseases. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5198-2_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-5198-2_21

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