High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and affects over half of all US adults. However, blood pressure measured using an upper arm cuff does not provide a the full picture of the harm caused by high blood pressure. Indeed, systolic and diastolic pressure represent only the peak and nadir of an otherwise complex and featured blood pressure waveform. Therefore, there may be clinically valuable information embedded within the blood pressure waveform that is missed by systolic and diastolic BP alone.

Biological processes contributing to cardiovascular disease start years before symptoms appear. Indeed, autopsy studies have shown that atherosclerotic lesions in the arteries supplying the heart can be found in children as young as 2 years old. From an early age and through the teenage years, individuals go through important growth phases comprising high developmental plasticity. Thus, early identification, and management of cardiovascular risk factors during these critical ages represents an important goal toward reducing the burden of heart disease in adulthood.

As we age, our arteries age too and this has been shown to be a robust predictor of future cardiovascular events. Accelerated arterial aging increases the transmission of harmful pulsatile energy into vital organs like the heart, kidneys, and brain. Therefore, detecting sub-clinical markers of premature arterial aging could be clinically valuable, particularly for identifying high risk individuals who would benefit most from interventions aimed at slowing vascular aging.