Background: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is widely used for estimating the stiffness of an artery. Various invasive and non-invasive methods have been developed to determine PWV over the years. In the present research, the non-invasive estimation of the PWV of large arteries was used as an index for arterial stiffness. Methods: A dynamic model based on the Navier-Stokes equations coupled to elasticity equations was introduced for the PWV in arteries with elastic walls. This system of equations was completed by clinical information obtained from the Doppler ultrasound images of the carotid artery of 40 healthy male volunteers. For this purpose, the Doppler ultrasound images were recorded and saved in a computer; and subsequently center-line blood velocity, arterial wall thickness, and arterial radius were measured by offline processing. Results: The results from the analytic solution of the completed equations showed that the mean value of PWV for the group of healthy volunteers was 2.35 m/s when the mean arterial radius was used as the neutral radius and 5.00 m/s when the end-diastole radius was used as the neutral radius. It is noteworthy that the latter value closely complies with that reported by other researchers. Conclusion: By applying this method, a non-invasive clinical and local evaluation of the common carotid artery stiffness via a Doppler ultrasound measurement will be possible.

Dear Editor-in-Chief: Arterial stiffness assessed by the measurement of aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV), is an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality, in various population groups, including elderly people (1, 2). Left atrial size increases with age and is a predictor for age related first cardiovascular events (3).

Introduction. It is known that in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD), cardiovascular damage starts in the form of arterial stiffness. There are risk factors other than the traditional ones such as arterial stiffness hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and insulin resistance. Vitamin D deficiency is rather common in CKD, and it was introduced as a risk factor for atherosclerosis; however, its relationship with arterial stiffness is not known completely. The purpose of this study was to research the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and arterial stiffness. Materials and Methods. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by measuring augmentation index (AI) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) from the radial and carotid arteries with a Vicorder. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured by an immunoassay method. Results. In the 81 CKD patients (mean age, 13. 21 ± 6. 02 years; mean body mass index, 19. 42 ± 5. 12 kg/m2; and 56. 8% male), the mean vitamin D level was 60. 71 ± 39. 52 ng/mL, the mean AI was 7. 93 ± 7. 77%, and the mean PWV was 9. 79 ± 4. 36 m/s. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D was correlated with AI (r =-0. 482, P = 0. 001) and PWV (r =-0. 57, P =. 001). Conclusions. In this study, it was proven that vitamin D deficiency in children was related to nondiabetic and nondialysis CKD.

Background: Hypertension is the main reason why the incidence of cardiovascular disease has increased year-by-year and early diagnosis of hypertension is necessary to reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease. This also puts forward higher requirements for the accuracy of diagnosis. We tried a variety of feature selection methods to improve the accuracy of logistic regression (LR). Methods: We collected 397 samples from Nanjing, Jiangsu, China between Jan 2016 and Dec 2017, including 178 hypertension samples and 219 control samples. It includes not only clinical and laboratory data, but also imaging data. We focused on the difference of imaging attributes between the control group and the hyperten-sion group, and analyzed the correlation coefficients of all attributes. In order to establish the optimal LR model, this study tried three different feature selection methods, including statistical analysis, random forest (RF) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) and accuracy were used as the main criterion for model evaluation. Results: In the prediction of hypertension, the performance of LR with RF as the feature selection method (accuracy: 0. 910,AUC: 0. 924) was better than the performance of LR with XGBoost as the feature selection method (accuracy: 0. 897,AUC: 0. 915) and the performance of LR with statistical analysis as the feature selec-tion method (accuracy: 0. 872,AUC: 0. 926). Conclusion: LR with RF as the feature selection method may provide accurate results in predicting hyperten-sion. Carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity at the end of systole (ESPWV) are two key imaging indicators in the prediction of hypertension.

Background and Objectives: Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and has been shown to accelerate arterial stiffening, particularly in patients with hypertension. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is a reliable marker of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk. While the adverse effects of smoking on arterial health are well-documented, the potential reversibility of these effects through smoking cessation, especially in hypertensive patients, remains unclear. Furthermore, the relationship between the duration of smoking cessation and improvements in arterial stiffness has not been thoroughly investigated. To address this knowledge gap, we aimed to investigate the impact of smoking cessation duration on pulse wave velocity in middle-aged and elderly patients with primary hypertension. Methods: Smoking middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients who visited the Cardiology Department of Jinshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University from May 2019 to July 2022 were recruited. After receiving smoking cessation education, the participants were divided into a smoking group (175 cases) and a smoking cessation group (192 cases) based on their willingness to quit smoking. General information including patient gender, age, hypertension history, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) was collected. Each patient was followed up for one year, with baPWV examinations conducted at the 6-month and 1-year marks. Smoking status was verified, and patients were reclassified into three groups: the smoking group, the smoking cessation for over six months group, and the smoking cessation for one year group. Statistical methods were used to compare differences in baPWV levels at baseline, six months, and one year. The correlation between smoking duration, smoking cessation duration, and baPWV levels was analyzed using Spearman bivariate analysis. Results: The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) levels decreased significantly in the smoking cessation for over six months group after one year (P<0. 05) and even more so in the smoking cessation for one year group (P<0. 001). At six months, baPWV levels decreased significantly in both the smoking cessation for over six months and one year groups compared to the smoking group (P<0. 05). At one year, the baPWV levels in the smoking cessation for over six months group decreased significantly compared to the smoking group (P<0. 001), and further decreased in the smoking cessation for one year group (P<0. 001). There is a positive correlation between baPWV levels and smoking duration (Y=1506 + 1. 167X, P=0. 015) and a significant negative correlation with smoking cessation duration (Y=1697. 017-18. 879X, P<0. 001). Conclusion: Smoking does not exhibit a "ceiling effect" on endothelial damage. Smoking cessation can significantly reduce baPWV values in smokers with hypertension, even short-term cessation (over six months) is beneficial for reducing baPWV values.