Arterial Stiffness: A Key Determinant of Cardiovascular Risk in Clinical Medicine
A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Cardiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 116
Special Issue Editor
Interests: cardiology; cardiovascular disease; echocardiography; cardiac imaging; cardiovascular; cardiac surgery; atrial fibrillation; arterial stiffness; coronary artery disease; atherosclerosis
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Arterial stiffness has gained increasing recognition as a key determinant of cardiovascular risk in clinical medicine. Reflecting the cumulative effects of aging, hypertension, metabolic disorders, and atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness integrates long-term vascular injury and provides prognostic information that is not fully captured by conventional brachial blood pressure measurements alone. It therefore represents an important pathophysiological and clinical link between cardiovascular risk factors and target organ damage involving the heart, brain, and kidneys. Over the past two decades, advances in vascular assessment techniques have enabled more accurate evaluation of arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics, including pulse wave velocity and central pulse pressure. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that these indices are strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality across diverse clinical settings, ranging from primary prevention to patients with established cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. Importantly, arterial stiffness is increasingly recognized not only as a risk marker but also as a dynamic and potentially modifiable factor. Despite these advances, several clinically relevant questions remain unresolved. These include optimal methods for assessing arterial stiffness in routine practice, the prognostic value of longitudinal changes and temporal variability, sex-specific differences, and the incremental value of arterial stiffness beyond traditional risk factors. In addition, the role of arterial stiffness in guiding treatment intensity and monitoring therapeutic response remains an active area of investigation.
This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on arterial stiffness in clinical medicine. We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and focused reviews addressing mechanisms, measurement, clinical implications, and clinically translational perspectives.
By synthesizing evidence from basic, clinical, and population-based studies, this Special Issue aims to clarify the role of arterial stiffness in cardiovascular risk stratification and to highlight future directions for research and clinical application.
Topics of interest for publication include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Clinical assessment of arterial stiffness and central hemodynamics in cardiovascular medicine;
- Pulse wave velocity, central blood pressure, and their prognostic value across clinical settings;
- Arterial stiffness as an integrative marker of vascular aging and cumulative cardiovascular risk;
- Longitudinal changes and variability in arterial stiffness and their clinical implications;
- Sex-specific differences in arterial stiffness and cardiovascular outcomes;
- Arterial stiffness in hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure;
- Incremental value of arterial stiffness beyond traditional cardiovascular risk factors;
- Impact of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions on arterial stiffness;
- Arterial stiffness in risk stratification, treatment guidance, and monitoring of therapeutic response;
- Translational and population-based research linking arterial stiffness to target organ damage.
Dr. Hack-Lyoung Kim
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- cardiology
- cardiovascular medicine
- arterial stiffness
- pulse wave velocity
- central hemodynamics
- vascular aging
- hypertension
- atherosclerosis
- arteriosclerosis
- cardiovascular risk stratification
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
