Pulse Pressure, Arterial Stiffness, and End-Organ Damage
Whereas larger arteries participate in the dampening of blood pressure (BP) oscillations resulting from intermittent ventricular ejection, smaller arteries steadily deliver an adequate supply of blood from the heart to the peripheral organs. Numerous active mechanisms are involved in this process. Cyclic stress acts differently from steady stress, inducing stronger and stiffer material of the vess