Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

A comment on the physiological basis for longitudinal motion of the arterial wall

Cinthio, Magnus LU orcid ; Petäjä, Artturi LU ; Erlöv, Tobias LU and Ahlgren, Åsa Rydén (2025) In American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology 328(2). p.190-195
Abstract

The longitudinal motion and the intramural shear strain of the arterial wall increase dramatically in response to blood pressure, thereby impacting the vascular wall microenvironment. Exposure to a sedentary lifestyle has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it has been shown that intermittent physical activity embedded into everyday life is enough to improve cardiovascular health. Marked changes in longitudinal motion already at a low workload may explain this finding. However, to understand the mechanism linking longitudinal motion and cardiovascular health, an understanding of the physiological basis for the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall is needed. The factors underlying the... (More)

The longitudinal motion and the intramural shear strain of the arterial wall increase dramatically in response to blood pressure, thereby impacting the vascular wall microenvironment. Exposure to a sedentary lifestyle has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it has been shown that intermittent physical activity embedded into everyday life is enough to improve cardiovascular health. Marked changes in longitudinal motion already at a low workload may explain this finding. However, to understand the mechanism linking longitudinal motion and cardiovascular health, an understanding of the physiological basis for the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall is needed. The factors underlying the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall in vivo are numerous and intertwined. As a comment and complement to the recent review by Athaide et al. (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 322: H689–H701, 2022), we propose and discuss a comprehensive cardiovascular mechanical scenario based on the current literature. In this scenario, blood pressure, typically acting in the radial direction, also acts directly in the longitudinal direction through a tapered geometry. This complements ventricular contraction, ventricular-vascular coupling, arterial diameter change, arterial stiffness in both the radial and longitudinal directions, and prestretch of the arterial wall. In addition, we consider the geometry of the arterial tree and intramural friction of the arterial wall. Together, these important cardiovascular mechanical factors form the pattern of longitudinal motion of the arterial wall, indicating that the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall is important for cardiovascular health.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
arterial stiffness, blood pressure, longitudinal prestretch, tapered geometry, ventricular-vascular coupling
in
American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology
volume
328
issue
2
pages
190 - 195
publisher
American Physiological Society
external identifiers
  • pmid:39706592
  • scopus:85215406773
ISSN
0363-6135
DOI
10.1152/ajpheart.00597.2024
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: Copyright © 2025 the American Physiological Society.
id
f2f1ea90-8f73-4552-a168-4e14751334bd
date added to LUP
2025-02-23 20:01:27
date last changed
2025-06-30 06:47:31
@article{f2f1ea90-8f73-4552-a168-4e14751334bd,
  abstract     = {{<p>The longitudinal motion and the intramural shear strain of the arterial wall increase dramatically in response to blood pressure, thereby impacting the vascular wall microenvironment. Exposure to a sedentary lifestyle has been identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it has been shown that intermittent physical activity embedded into everyday life is enough to improve cardiovascular health. Marked changes in longitudinal motion already at a low workload may explain this finding. However, to understand the mechanism linking longitudinal motion and cardiovascular health, an understanding of the physiological basis for the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall is needed. The factors underlying the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall in vivo are numerous and intertwined. As a comment and complement to the recent review by Athaide et al. (Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 322: H689–H701, 2022), we propose and discuss a comprehensive cardiovascular mechanical scenario based on the current literature. In this scenario, blood pressure, typically acting in the radial direction, also acts directly in the longitudinal direction through a tapered geometry. This complements ventricular contraction, ventricular-vascular coupling, arterial diameter change, arterial stiffness in both the radial and longitudinal directions, and prestretch of the arterial wall. In addition, we consider the geometry of the arterial tree and intramural friction of the arterial wall. Together, these important cardiovascular mechanical factors form the pattern of longitudinal motion of the arterial wall, indicating that the longitudinal motion of the arterial wall is important for cardiovascular health.</p>}},
  author       = {{Cinthio, Magnus and Petäjä, Artturi and Erlöv, Tobias and Ahlgren, Åsa Rydén}},
  issn         = {{0363-6135}},
  keywords     = {{arterial stiffness; blood pressure; longitudinal prestretch; tapered geometry; ventricular-vascular coupling}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{190--195}},
  publisher    = {{American Physiological Society}},
  series       = {{American Journal of Physiology - Heart and Circulatory Physiology}},
  title        = {{A comment on the physiological basis for longitudinal motion of the arterial wall}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00597.2024}},
  doi          = {{10.1152/ajpheart.00597.2024}},
  volume       = {{328}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}