An approximation technique is considered for computing transmission and reflection coefficients for plane waves propagating through stratified slabs. The propagation of elastic pulse through a planar slab is derived from first principles using straightforward time-dependent method. The paper ends with calculations of enhancement factor for the elastic plane wave and it is shown that it depends ...

Aortic augmentation index, a measure of central systolic blood pressure augmentation arising mainly from pressure-wave reflection, increases with vascular aging. The augmentation index is influenced by aortic pulse-wave velocity (related to aortic stiffness) and by the site and extent of wave reflection. To clarify the relative influence of pulse-wave velocity and wave reflection on the augment...

Increased aortic stiffness is related to increased ventricular stiffness and remodeling. Myocardial fibrosis is the pathophysiological hallmark of failing heart. We investigated the relationship between noninvasive imaging markers of myocardial fibrosis, native T1, and late gadolinium enhancement, respectively, and aortic stiffness in ventricular remodeling. Consecutive patients with known dila...

BACKGROUND The role of antiretroviral therapy in acceleration of atherosclerosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is controversial. We hypothesized that aortic stiffness, an early marker of arteriosclerosis, may be increased in HIV patients treated with protease inhibitors. METHODS AND RESULTS In 32 HIV-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors and 32 age...

BACKGROUND Atherosclerosis is known to impair vascular function and cause vascular stiffening. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential predictive role of vascular stiffening in the early detection of atherosclerosis. Therefore, we investigated the time course of early functional and morphological alterations of the vessel wall in a murine atherosclerosis model. Because initial lesio...

BACKGROUND Measurement of arterial stiffness should be more available. Our aim was to show that aortic pulse wave velocity can be reliably measured with a bathroom scale combining the principles of ballistocardiography (BCG) and impedance plethysmography on a single foot. METHOD The calibration of the bathroom scale was conducted on a group of 106 individuals. The aortic pulse wave velocity w...

Pulse wave analysis permits non-invasive assessment of arterial elasticity indices. The contour varies in different parts of the circulation. It depends on physiological or pathophysiological conditions of the organism. The pathological events like arteriosclerosis or diabetes have a primary effect to the artery elasticity. Hypertension or some heart diseases also influence the pulse wave veloc...

The methods and device for estimation of cardiac output and measurement of pulse wave velocity simultaneously is presented here. The beat-to-beat cardiac output as well as pulse wave velocity measurement is based on application of electrical impedance method on the thorax and calf. The results are demonstrated in a study of 24 subjects. The dependence of pulse wave velocity and cardiac output o...

1. The pulse-wave velocity along the brachial radial artery was measured in 38 subjects and volume distensibility values were calculated. 2. Measurements made at each subject's resting blood pressure showed that those with high blood pressure had higher pulse-wave velocity values and hence less distensible arteries. 3. An acute rise in arterial distending pressure was accompanied by a rise in p...