Key result
Arterial stiffening precedes the development of high blood pressure and can be reversed under certain conditions, such as through lifestyle changes or antihypertensive medications.
Arterial stiffness is an important, potentially reversible precursor to hypertension, highlighting the clinical need for standardized measurement protocols to assess early cardiovascular risk.
Reversing arterial stiffness to prevent hypertension remains hypothesis-generating; prospective human trials needed before clinical adoption.
Measures of the functional and structural properties of blood vessels can be used to assess preclinical stage of vascular disorders. Recent experimental and population studies show that arterial stiffening precedes development of high blood pressure, and can be used to predict future cardiovascular events. Arterial stiffness was also shown to be reversible in several experimental models of various conditions. Since reversing arterial stiffness could prevent development of hypertension and other clinical conditions, understanding the biological mechanisms of arterial stiffening and investigating potential therapeutic interventions to modulate arterial stiffness are important research topics. For research and application in general clinical settings, it is an important step to develop reliable devices and a standardized arterial stiffness measurement protocol.
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Young S. Oh (2018) conducted a review in Hypertension and Arterial Stiffness. Arterial stiffening precedes the development of high blood pressure and can be reversed under certain conditions, such as through lifestyle changes or antihypertensive medications.
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