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Estimating local arterial stiffness using mixed-effects model-based residuals: a novel approach

Hypertension Research volume 44, pages 727–729 (2021)Cite this article

Local arterial stiffness (AS), a commonly used measure of cardiovascular health, is typically calculated at the level of a given vessel segment by expressing arterial distension relative to pulse pressure (PP) [1,2,3,4,5]. Currently, there is no consensus on the ideal way to estimate AS, and various mathematical expressions are used to compute it [1, 2]. Common estimators of AS involve nonlinear combinations of distension and blood pressure, but these expressions are known to be confounded by the blood pressure stimulus (typically included within the denominator in these expressions) [1,2,3,4]. As nonacute changes in blood pressure occur over time in a person (e.g., due to medication or changes in exercise habits), it becomes difficult to reconcile whether the observed changes in AS are attributable to the changing pressure stimulus or if they are in fact due to true changes in AS.

This study presents a novel approach for calculating a blood pressure-independent estimate of local AS. We hypothesized that changes in PP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) would be associated with changes in distension and could be factored out to identify latent AS.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the US National Cancer Institute. The opinions expressed by the authors are their own and this material should not be interpreted as representing the official viewpoint of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health or the National Cancer Institute.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Avinash Chandran, Derek W. Brown

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Datalys Center for Sports Injury Research and Prevention, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Avinash Chandran

  2. Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Avinash Chandran, Gabriel H. Zieff, Zachary Y. Kerr & Lee Stoner

  3. Integrative Tumor Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA

    Derek W. Brown

  4. Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program, Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, MD, USA

    Derek W. Brown

  5. Department of Biology, Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, FL, USA

    Daniel Credeur

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  1. Avinash Chandran
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  6. Lee Stoner
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Correspondence to Avinash Chandran.

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Author Avinash Chandran reports funding from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as the Director of the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Chandran, A., Brown, D.W., Zieff, G.H. et al. Estimating local arterial stiffness using mixed-effects model-based residuals: a novel approach. Hypertens Res 44, 727–729 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-021-00616-2

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