# The Relevance of Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Calcium to Blood Pressure and LV Structure and Function.

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2020 · $640,348

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 Only 50% of those treated for hypertension are controlled to target levels, suggesting that the current
treatments may not be affecting all of the potential mechanisms for elevations in blood pressure. By increasing
the velocity and amplitude of reflected pulse waves, as well as decreasing the dampening of pulse waves into
the peripheral microvasculature, higher levels of aortic stiffness cause increases in systolic blood pressure and
end-organ damage in susceptible vascular beds. As such, aortic stiffness is hypothesized to be a potential
mechanism for hypertension treatment failure. In this regard, it is essential to further understand the
interrelationships between stiffness and atherosclerosis, and whether the current hypotheses surrounding
aortic stiffness and its consequences are influenced by other major vascular beds linked to blood pressure
regulation and, thereby, left ventricular structure and function. From this, we hypothesize that the carotid and
subclavian arteries will be particularly relevant to these associations. To test the hypotheses implied above, as
well as others outlined in this application, we propose to use existing data and resources from the Multi-Ethnic
Study of Atherosclerosis to assess associations between stiffness in the thoracic aorta, carotid arteries and
across the right upper extremity, with vascular calcification per se, as well as the volume and density of
corresponding calcified arterial segments. Moreover, we will determine if stiffness in the different arterial beds
is associated with several measures of blood pressure, as well as left ventricular structure and function, and if
these are confounded/mediated by the volume or density of vascular calcium from distinct arterial segments.
To do so, we will utilize different measurements of arterial stiffness in the aforementioned vascular beds, blood
pressure in both arms and measures of left ventricular structure and function. We will add to these by
interrogating existing computed tomography scans of the chest for the presence/extent, volume and density of
vascular calcium in the ascending/arch/descending thoracic aorta, as well as the common carotid and
subclavian arteries. The proposed projects reflect a novel and rational advance to address current gaps in the
current science on the relevance of arterial stiffness to both hypertension and heart failure (vis-à-vis left
ventricular structure and function), and how disease in the carotid (the site of baroreceptors for pressure
regulation) and subclavian (contiguous vascular bed to blood pressure measurement in the arm) arteries may
contribute.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9922348
- **Project number:** 5R01HL142283-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Matthew A Allison
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $640,348
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9922348

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9922348, The Relevance of Arterial Stiffness and Vascular Calcium to Blood Pressure and LV Structure and Function. (5R01HL142283-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9922348. Licensed CC0.

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