aDepartment of Epidemiology
bDepartment of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam
cDepartment of Biomedical Engineering
dDepartment of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
Correspondence to Germaine Verwoert, MD, MSc, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus Medical Center, Dr Molewaterplein 50, 3015 GE Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Tel: +31 107035979; fax: +31 107034768; e-mail: [email protected]
Abbreviations: ΔD, the absolute stroke change in diameter during systole; ΔD/D, the relative stroke change in diameter; aPWV, aortic pulse wave velocity; CHD, coronary heart disease; CI, confidence interval; D, end-diastolic diameter; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; ISH, isolated systolic hypertension; MI, myocardial infarction; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; OR, odds ratio; RS-I, original Rotterdam Study started in 1990; RS-II, extension of the Rotterdam Study in 1999; Sys/Dia hypertension, combined systolic and diastolic hypertension
Received 18 November, 2013
Revised 1 April, 2014
Accepted 1 April, 2014