1. Pressure-Diameter Relation of the Human Aorta
by Christodoulos Stefanadis, Costas Stratos, Charalambos Vlachopoulos, Stelios Marakas, Harisios Boudoulas, Ioannis Kallikazaros, Eleftherios Tsiamis, Konstantinos Toutouzas, Lambros Sioros, and Pavlos Toutouzas
Circulation
Volume 92(8):
October 15, 1995
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Photograph of the device used to measure aortic diameter.
Photograph of the device used to measure aortic diameter. Arrows indicate the distal tips of the Y-shaped catheter. Large arrowhead indicates the connector at the proximal end.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Photographs illustrating insertion of the diameter catheter into a glass model of the aorta.
Photographs illustrating insertion of the diameter catheter into a glass model of the aorta. First, an 8F guiding sheath (S) is advanced to the desired level; then, the diameter catheter is advanced through the guiding sheath. When the catheter in position, the sheath is retracted gradually (A) to expose completely the tips of the catheter; the arms spread apart and touch the wall (B). Arrowheads indicate the 1-mm crystals inside the protective polyurethane sheath.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Radiographic (A) and echocardiographic (transesophageal; B) images of the diameter device and the pressure micromanometer positioned at the thoracic aorta.
Radiographic (A) and echocardiographic (transesophageal; B) images of the diameter device and the pressure micromanometer positioned at the thoracic aorta. In the radiographic frame, large arrowheads indicate the crystals, and the small arrowhead indicates the tip of the catheter-tip micromanometer. In the echocardiographic image, white arrows indicate the crystals; the tip of the micromanometer is not imaged because it is located slightly below the level of the echo-band cross sectioning the thoracic aorta.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Schematic representation of study instrumentation.
Schematic representation of study instrumentation. Diameter device and catheter-tip micromanometer positioned at the thoracic aorta are connected to a mainframe (VF-1). Instantaneous diameter and pressure signals are displayed in real-time mode on the screen of a computer.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Effects of prolonged contact of the arms of the catheter device on aortic smooth muscle tone.
Effects of prolonged contact of the arms of the catheter device on aortic smooth muscle tone. A through C, Scatterplots of peak-to-peak values of diastolic (d) and systolic (s) pressures versus corresponding diastolic and systolic aortic diameter, at each of the three handgrip exercises of a single patient. Care was taken for all three plots to be performed for the same range of changes in peak systolic and diastolic pressures. D, Calculated regression lines of all three handgrip exercises. No significant difference was noted, indicating absence of alteration in aortic smooth muscle cell tone. rd and rs indicate Regression coefficients of the plotting of peak-to-peak values of both systolic and diastolic pressures versus corresponding diameters.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:2210-2219
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:2210-2219
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. Simultaneous recordings of aortic pressure (A) and diameter (B) of a single cardiac cycle in a control subject (NL, patient A) and a patient with coronary artery disease (CAD, patient B).
Simultaneous recordings of aortic pressure (A) and diameter (B) of a single cardiac cycle in a control subject (NL, patient A) and a patient with coronary artery disease (CAD, patient B). Note the reduced pulsatility in aortic diameter and the increased aortic diameter values in the patient with coronary artery disease compared with the control subject, despite the greater pulse pressure of the CAD patient.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. Clockwise pressure-diameter loop of the same cardiac cycles of the patients in Fig 7.
Clockwise pressure-diameter loop of the same cardiac cycles of the patients in Fig 7. The loop of the coronary artery disease patient (CAD, patient B) has a steeper slope (P<.001), indicating reduced elasticity compared with control (NL, patient A).
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Scatterplot of the slope of the pressure-diameter loops versus age in control subjects (NORMALS) and coronary artery disease patients (CAD).
Scatterplot of the slope of the pressure-diameter loops versus age in control subjects (NORMALS) and coronary artery disease patients (CAD). As depicted, 93% of the CAD patients had values above the upper 95% confidence limits of the control subjects.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

12. A, Relation of measured pulse wave velocity and aortic distensibility.
A, Relation of measured pulse wave velocity and aortic distensibility. B, Relation of measured pulse wave velocity and slope of the pressure-diameter linear regression line.
Christodoulos Stefanadis et al. Circulation. 1995;92:
Copyright © American Heart Association, Inc. All rights reserved.