On the elastic properties of arteries.

A new coefficient of elasticity is proposed that relates to the elastic state of the blood vessels. This measure is proposed as a result of the realization, from personal experience as well as from the international literature, of the difficulty in measuring the thickness of the blood vessels in vivo with acceptable precision. The measurement of E being dependent on the measurement of the thickness of the vessels becomes a highly unreliable proposition. Its relation to E (Young modulus) and to the pulse wave velocity (PWV) is established. We give three examples showing how the proposed coefficient can be measured.