Non-invasive measurements of arterial compliance in hypertensive compared with normotensive adults

AIM: To determine differences in arterial compliance attributable to hypertension. METHODS: Since measurements of arterial compliance have tended to vary in the past according to the method used, a new technique comprising carotid ultrasound and simultaneous, calibrated, carotid pressure waveform measurements was tested in 43 hypertensives and 43 control subjects matched for age, gender and body size. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in compliance among the hypertensive patients, as estimated by the elastic modulus and the ratio of stroke volume to pulse pressure. However, when the non-linearity of the pressure-volume relationship and the impact of distending pressure were taken into account, by the arterial stiffness index and by the increase in arterial wall thickness associated with hypertension by Young's modulus, there were no significant differences in arterial compliance between the two groups.