Obesity is associated with increased aortic stiffness independent of blood pressure, ethnicity, and age, contributing to higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
What is the role of arterial stiffness in individuals with obesity and its association with cardiovascular risk?
Increased arterial stiffness is a significant, independent hemodynamic mechanism linking obesity to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
Long-term follow-up studies have indicated that obesity is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk in both genders. Increased arterial stiffness, as reflected by an increased pulse wave velocity, is significantly and independently associated with higher risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In recent years, it has been demonstrated that individuals with obesity are likely to have an increase in aortic stiffness, independent of BP level, ethnicity, and age. The pathophysiologic mechanisms that link abdominal adiposity to stiffening are not fully understood. This report focuses on the role of arterial stiffness in individuals with obesity and on the association between this hemodynamic feature and cardiovascular risk.
Safar et al. (Fri,) conducted a review in Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk. Obesity and arterial stiffness was evaluated. Obesity is associated with increased aortic stiffness independent of blood pressure, ethnicity, and age, contributing to higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.