Assessment of proximal pulmonary arterial stiffness using magnetic resonance imaging: effects of technique, age and exercise.

Introduction: To compare the reproducibility of pulmonary pulse wave velocity (PWV) techniques, and the effects of age and exercise on these.

Methods: 10 young healthy volunteers (YHV) and 20 older healthy volunteers (OHV) with no cardiac or lung condition were recruited. High temporal resolution phase contrast sequences were performed through the main pulmonary arteries (MPAs), right pulmonary arteries (RPAs) and left pulmonary arteries (LPAs), while high spatial resolution sequences were obtained through the MPA.