Background-Aortic stiffness is a marker of cardiovascular disease and an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk.Although an association between inflammatory markers and increased arterial stiffness has been suggested, the causative relationship between inflammation and arterial stiffness has not been investigated. Methods and Results-One hundred healthy individuals were studied according to a randomized, double-blind, sham procedure-controlled design. Each substudy consisted of 2 treatment arms, 1 with Salmonella typhi vaccination and 1 with sham vaccination. Vaccination produced a significant (PϽ0.01) increase in pulse wave velocity (at 8 hours by 0.43 m/s), denoting an increase in aortic stiffness. Wave reflections were reduced significantly (PϽ0.01) by vaccination (decrease in augmentation index of 5.0% at 8 hours and 2.5% at 32 hours) as a result of peripheral vasodilatation. These effects were associated with significant increases in inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (PϽ0.001), high-sensitivity interleukin-6 (PϽ0.001), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (PϽ0.01). With aspirin pretreatment (1200 mg PO), neither pulse wave velocity nor augmentation index changed significantly after vaccination (increase of 0.11 m/s and 0.4%, respectively; PϭNS for both). Conclusions-This is the first study to show through a cause-and-effect relationship that acute systemic inflammation leads to deterioration of large-artery stiffness and to a decrease in wave reflections. These findings have important implications, given the importance of aortic stiffness for cardiovascular function and risk and the potential of therapeutic interventions with antiinflammatory properties. (Circulation. 2005;112:2193-2200.)

Chronic coffee consumption exerts a detrimental effect on aortic stiffness and wave reflections, which may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Serum UA levels are independently associated with aortic stiffening and wave reflections in never-treated hypertensives. Future studies are warranted in order to explore its exact role on arterial function in the hypertensive setting.

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Both black and green tea increases acutely wave reflections and only black tea increases aortic stiffness. Tea flavonoids may play a role in the attenuation of the effects of caffeine contained in tea.