Normal Pregnancy Is Associated with Changes in Central Hemodynamics and Enhanced Recruitable, but Not Resting, Endothelial Function

Figure 1

(a) Schema of the instrumental approach employed to acquire noninvasively arterial parameters in basal conditions. Employed techniques: carotid-to-femoral PWV and PWA (applanation tonometry) and carotid arterial diameter and CIMT (B-Mode ultrasound). (b) Representative diagram of the study protocol of Vasoreactivity Test (VRT) applied to evaluate changes in carotid-to-radial PWV and brachial arterial diameter. : acoustic impedance; CIMT: carotid intima-media thickness; PWA: pulse wave analysis; PWVcf: carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity; , : time delay between wave from ECG and central (carotid) foot wave and peripheral (femoral or radial) foot wave, respectively; : time delay between carotid foot wave and radial foot wave; AP: augmentation pressure; cSBP and pSBP: central and peripheral systolic blood pressure, respectively; cDBP and pDBP: central and peripheral diastolic blood pressure, respectively; PWVcr: carotid-to-radial pulse wave velocity; FMD: flow-mediated dilation; L-FMC: low flow-mediated constriction.

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