Role of Arterial Compliance in Assessing the Biomechanical Properties of Arteries in Systole and Diastole and in Hypertension

The biomechanical properties of arteries play a crucial role in governing the overall hemodynamic function of the circulatory system. The nonuniformity in elastic and geometric structures of the blood vessels adds on to the complexity in dealing with pulsatile natures of blood pressure and flow. Short-term or chronic changes in arterial wall properties subjecting to distending pressure and perfusing flow make quantification of arterial compliance especially important in its use in describing the overall arterial function. This paper will first review the methodologies of determining arterial compliance in systole, in diastole and varying throughout the entire cardiac cycle. The stroke volume-to-pulse pressure method, the linear Windkessel model-based approaches and the nonlinear pressure-dependent compliance model method to derive arterial compliance are presented. The clinical relevance and implications are highlighted accordingly, in particular, the consequences of hypertension and aging.