Arterial Stiffness in Aging: Does It Have a Place in Clinical Practice? Recent Advances in Hypertension

Aortic stiffness increases markedly with age and is associated with excess risk for various adverse clinical outcomes, including heart disease, dementia, and kidney disease. Although evidence for adverse effects of aortic stiffening is overwhelming, integration of direct and indirect measures of aortic stiffness into routine clinical assessment has lagged behind the science. This brief review will examine recent evidence supporting the value of stiffness as an important new risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease and will offer suggestions for incorporating stiffness measures into routine clinical practice.

Automated summary

Aortic stiffness increases significantly with age and is linked to various adverse clinical outcomes. While evidence of its negative effects is overwhelming, incorporating measures of aortic stiffness into routine clinical practice has been slow.