Aortic pressure: current views on clinical and prognostic value of measure

Reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is not always or only owed to antihypertensive effect of treatments. Decrease in systolic blood pressure helped by antihypertensive drugs may be different in the central and peripheral vascular segments, which is largely explained by different pathophysiology of central and peripheral arterial blood pressure. This review is devoted to current views on pathophysiology, diagnostic techniques, medication effects on central blood pressure, clinical and prognostic value of measuring central blood pressure and prospects for its evaluation