Aortic stiffness expressed as aortic PWV is a strong predictor of future CV events and all-cause mortality. The predictive ability of arterial stiffness is higher in subjects with a higher baseline CV risk.

Содержание данных рекомендаций, подготовленных Европейским обществом кардиологов (European Society of Cardiology, ESC) и Европейским обществом атеросклероза (European Atherosclerosis Society, EAS) опубликовано исключи-тельно для использования в личных и образовательных целях. Не допускается коммерческое использование содержания рекомендаций. Рекомендации ESC не могут быть переведены на другие языки либо воспроизведены, полностью или частично, без письменного согласия ESC. Для получения данного согласия письменная заявка должна быть направлена в Oxford University Press -органи-зацию, издающую European Heart Journal и официально уполномоченную ESC, рассматривать подобные заявки.Отказ от ответственности. Рекомендации ESC отражают взгляды ESC и EAS и основаны на тщательном анализе научных данных, доступных во время под-готовки данных рекомендаций. Медицинским работникам следует придержи-ваться данных рекомендаций в процессе принятия клинических решений. В то же время, рекомендации не могут заменить личную ответственность медицинских работников при принятии клинических решений с учетом инди-видуальных особенностей и предпочтений пациентов и, при необходимости, предпочтений их опекунов и попечителей. Медицинские работники также несут ответственность в отношении дополнительной проверки всех надлежа-щих требований и правил перед назначением лекарственных средств и использованием медицинского оборудования. Ключевые слова: дислипидемии, холестерин, триглицериды, липопротеиды низкой плотности, липопротеиды высокой плотности, апобелок В, общий кар-диоваскулярный риск, лечение, образ жизни, лекарства, приверженность.

Central haemodynamic indexes are independent predictors of future CV events and all-cause mortality. Augmentation index predicts clinical events independently of peripheral pressures, while central PP has a marginally but not significantly (P = 0.057) better predictive ability when compared with peripheral PP.

Arterial stiffening is the most important cause of increasing systolic and pulse pressure, and for decreasing diastolic pressure beyond 40 years of age. Stiffening affects predominantly the aorta and proximal elastic arteries, and to a lesser degree the peripheral muscular arteries. While conceptually a Windkessel model is the simplest way to visualize the cushioning function of arteries, this is not useful clinically under changing conditions when effects of wave reflection become prominent. Many measures have been applied to quantify stiffness, but all are approximations only, on account of the nonhomogeneous structure of the arterial wall, its variability in different locations, at different levels of distending pressure, and with changes in smooth muscle tone. This article summarizes the methods and indices used to estimate arterial stiffness, and provides values from a survey of the literature, followed by recommendations of an international group of workers in the field who attended the First Consensus Conference on Arterial Stiffness, which was held in Paris during 2000, under the chairmanship of M.E. Safar and E.D. Frohlich.

AimsCarotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), a direct measure of aortic stiffness, has become increasingly important for total cardiovascular (CV) risk estimation. Its application as a routine tool for clinical patient evaluation has been hampered by the absence of reference values. The aim of the present study is to establish reference and normal values for PWV based on a large European population.Methods and resultsWe gathered data from 16 867 subjects and patients from 13 different centres across eight European countries, in which PWV and basic clinical parameters were measured. Of these, 11 092 individuals were free from overt CV disease, non-diabetic and untreated by either anti-hypertensive or lipid-lowering drugs and constituted the reference value population, of which the subset with optimal/normal blood pressures (BPs) (n = 1455) is the normal value population. Prior to data pooling, PWV values were converted to a common standard using established conversion formulae. Subjects were categorized by age decade and further subdivided according to BP categories. Pulse wave velocity increased with age and BP category; the increase with age being more pronounced for higher BP categories and the increase with BP being more important for older subjects. The distribution of PWV with age and BP category is described and reference values for PWV are established. Normal values are proposed based on the PWV values observed in the non-hypertensive subpopulation who had no additional CV risk factors.ConclusionThe present study is the first to establish reference and normal values for PWV, combining a sizeable European population after standardizing results for different methods of PWV measurement.