Local Arterial Stiffness Assessment: Comparison of Pulse Wave Velocity Assessed by Ultrafast Ultrasound Imaging versus the Bramwell-Hill Equation

Abstract

Arterial stiffness is a major biomarker of cardiovascular health and a key predictor of cardiovascular events.1 In the clinical setting, pulse wave velocity (PWV) is used as a noninvasive surrogate for arterial stiffness. Local PWV represents the stiffness of a small segment of a given vessel. This is an important assessment for monitoring the progression of local and heterogenous disease such as atherosclerosis, connective tissue disorders, and the iatrogenic impacts of radiation. Currently, the most common tool for measuring local PWV is the theoretical Bramwell-Hill (B-H) equation.