Biomechanics of the ergometric stress tests: regional and local effects on elastic, transitional and muscular human arteries.

Unlabelled: Ergometric exercise stress tests (EST) give important information about the cardiovascular (CV) response to increased demands. The expected EST-related changes in variables like blood pressure and heart rate are known, but those in the arterial biomechanics are controversial and incompletely characterized.

Aims: a) to characterize the regional and local arterial biomechanical behavior in response to EST, and its temporal profile in the post-EST recovery phase and (b) to compare different arteries biomechanical response to EST.

Methods: In 16 non-trained healthy young subjects the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and the carotid, femoral and brachial arterial distensibility were non-invasively evaluated before (Rest) and after EST. Post exercise recordings were obtained 0-1, 4-5, and 9-10 minutes after exercise.

Results: The EST resulted in an early increase in the arterial stiffness, evidenced by regional and local parameters. There were quali-quantitative differences among the arterial local stiffness response to EST, when analyzing conjunctly the different postEST recovery stages. The biomechanical changes could not be explained only by blood pressure variations.