Aplicación práctica de la medida de la onda de pulso en el estudio de la rigidez arterial

Stiffness of the large arteries is a physiological response in the human being to aging. However, it may be accelerated due to different diseases, such as arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, etc. In the daily clinical practice, clinical parameters related with an increase in arterial stiffness are systolic hypertension and pulse pressure. However, since one decade ago, technological advances have made it possible to develop non-invasive techniques for the analysis of the pulse wave through velocity and analysis of the pulse wave (augmentation index [AIx]). Furthermore, there are well-founded hopes that they may serve to better study the possible slowing effect on arterial stiffness and whether there are differences between the therapies used.