New techniques for assessing arterial stiffness.

Arterial stiffness is now included in the guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension. In this paper, we review the evidence for the predictive value of arterial stiffness. More than 11 longitudinal trials have proven the predictive value of aortic stiffness measured through carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity, beyond and above classical risk factors. Such evidence is scarcer for central pressure and local arterial stiffness. If we add this evidence to the easiness of performing such measure, carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity is the reference technique for assessing arterial stiffness. Its place in the investigation of patients remains to be precised.