Incorporation of Novel Vascular Measures into Clinical Management: Recent Insights from the Framingham Heart Study

Abstract

Purpose of review: The review discusses evidence from the Framingham Heart Study that supports the assessment and utility of novel vascular and blood pressure measures to inform clinical management of blood pressure-related cardiovascular disease.

Recent findings: Recent Framingham Heart Study investigations provide new insights into the associations of novel and traditional vascular and blood pressure measures, such as measures of aortic stiffness, components of blood pressure waves, and orthostatic change in blood pressure, with cardiovascular disease events and brain structure and function. Novel vascular measures provide opportunities for additional investigation and potential development of new interventions that are more precisely targeted at underlying pathophysiology. Inclusion of novel vascular measures should be considered in clinical practice to screen for early, subclinical disease and to stratify high-risk individuals for targeted therapies.

Keywords: Aortic stiffness; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular disease; Cognition; Orthostatic hypotension; Vascular hemodynamics.