Impact of Endovascular Aortic Repair on Aortic Stiffness: Preliminary Results from a Prospective In Vivo Study Following EVAR

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of pulse wave velocity (PWV) assessment through applanation tonometry. Carotid (blue line) and femoral (green line) pressure waves are aligned to the R peak of the QRS complex of the ECG signal to determine the transit time (Δt) of the pressure wave. Distance (d) is calculated by multiplying the distance between the carotid and the femoral artery by 0.8. PWV is calculated by dividing the d by Δt. Reprinted with permission from Minerva Cardiology and Angiology [19].

Figure 2. Flow diagram of included patients.

Figure 3. Cf-PWV pre- and post-EVAR (10.6% increase, p < 0.001). Each dot represents an individual patient measurement, and lines connect paired pre-EVAR and post-EVAR measurements within the same patient.

Figure 4. SEVR pre- and post-operatively for EVAR (15.1% decrease, p = 0.0058). Each dot represents an individual patient measurement, and lines connect paired pre-EVAR and post-EVAR measurements within the same patient.

Figure 5. Linear regression of graft length and the postoperative change in cf-PWV. A significant positive correlation was observed (r = 0.41, p = 0.029), with a regression coefficient of β = 0.025. Each point represents an individual measurement, and the solid line shows the linear regression fit.

Figure 6. Linear regression of graft length and the postoperative change in SEVR. No significant correlation was found between graft length and SEVR change (r = 0.058, p = 0.763), with a regression coefficient of β = −0.033. Each point represents an individual measurement, and the solid line shows the linear regression fit.

Figure 7. Impact of aortic stiffness on blood pressure. In a native aorta, the viscoelastic properties of the aorta buffer the stroke volume after systolic ejection and create a propulsive effect during diastole. When arterial stiffness occurs, the reduced compliance of the aorta reduces this propulsive effect, leading to an increase in systolic blood pressure, a decrease in diastolic pressure, and an increase in pulse pressure. Reprinted with permission from Springer Nature [3].