why is arterial stiffness so important to measure?
A. arterial stiffness provides an invaluable snapshot of the current health of your arteries and your cardiovascular system. Arterial stiffness is a major cause of cardiovascular disease. In particular, as the arteries stiffen the heart is forced to work harder and blood pressure increases. In fact, arterial stiffness is the leading cause of systolic hypertension (high blood pressure) in the elderly. But arterial stiffness is a silent killer – it is symptomless in many people until it is too late and they experience their first significant cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke. However, if you know the state of your arteries then you can take appropriate preventative measures to try and ameliorate your risk.
