Determinants of aortic stiffening in elderly subjects: results of a nine-year follow-up.

Objective: To investigate determinants of increase in aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) in elderly subjects free from overt cardiovascular disease and not treated for arterial hypertension at baseline.

Methods: The present study included 90 lecture attendees ("Continuing Adult Education") who were examined at baseline and after a median follow-up of 9.5 years, including the PWV measurement using SphygmoCor.

Heritability and intrafamilial aggregation of arterial characteristics.

Background: We investigated the heritability and familial aggregation of various indexes of arterial stiffness and wave reflection and we partitioned the phenotypic correlation between these traits into shared genetic and environmental components.

Methods: Using a family-based population sample, we recruited 204 parents (mean age, 51.7 years) and 290 offspring (29.

Arterial characteristics in normotensive offspring of parents with or without a history of hypertension.

Background: In this study we compared the arterial characteristics and blood pressure (BP) of normotensive offspring of two normotensive parents (OFF/NT) and normotensive offspring who had at least one hypertensive parent (OFF/HT).

Methods: A total of 174 OFF/HT (17 to 40 years of age) and 59 OFF/NT (16 to 34 years) were recruited in Cracow, Poland (n = 138) and Pilsen, Czech Republic (n = 95). Peripheral pulse pressure (PPp) was determined from conventional and 24-h ambulatory BP.