RESEARCH Influence of the distensibi c

The elasticity of large arteries which represent the princi-pal arterial function made that they constitute a very dis-tensible reservoir. Their role is to transform pulsatile flow at the outlet of the heart in a continuous flow in the capillary bed. Consequently, the loss of distensibility is considered a cardiovascular risk factor [1]. This increased rigidity is due to age [2-4] or to various diseases such as hypertension or atherosclerosis [5-8]. Several methods have been proposed for measuring the elasticity of arter-ies, these methods are based on several techniques such that tonometry, mechanical transducers, echotracking, ultrasonic Doppler, functional Magnetic Resonance Im-aging (MRI) and photoplethysmography [9]. However, these methodologies have limitations because some of them may apply only to superficial arteries. Others, such that ultrasonic Doppler and functional MRI, where the site of interest is the deep arteries, are mainly based on the lin