On the importance of the non-uniform aortic stiffening in the hemodynamics of physiological ageing.

On the importance of the non-uniform aortic stiffening in the hemodynamics of physiological ageing. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2019 Sep 20;: Authors: Pagoulatou SZ, Bikia V, Trachet B, Papaioannou TG, Protogerou AD, Stergiopulos N Abstract Mathematical models of the arterial tree constitute a valuable tool to investigate the hemodynamics of ageing and pathology. Rendering such models patient-specific could allow for the assessment of central hemodynamic variables of clinical interest. However, this task is challenging, particularly with respect to the tuning of the local area compliance that varies significantly along the arterial tree. Accordingly, in this study, we demonstrate the importance of taking into account the differential effects of ageing on the stiffness of central and peripheral arteries when simulating a person's hemodynamic profile. More specifically, we propose a simple method for effectively adapting the properties of a generic 1-D model of the arterial tree based on the subject's age and noninvasive measurements of aortic flow and brachial pressure. Key element for the success of the method is the implementation of different mechanisms of arterial stiffening for young and old individuals. The designed methodology was tested and validated against in vivo data from a population of n=20 adults. Carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (c-f PWV) was accurately predicted by the model (mean error=0.14 m/s, SD=0.77 m/...
Source: American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology - Category: Physiology Authors: Tags: Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol Source Type: research