Arterial and venous compliance in obese and nonobese subjects

Obesity and systemic hypertension frequently coexist in the same patient and are considered independent risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Hemodynamic studies have shown that obesity and hypertension exert disparate cardiovascular effects.(1-3) Compared with nonobese patients with the same arterial blood pressure, obese patients have lower peripheral resistance. This study assesses arterial compliance and central blood volume as an indirect index of peripheral venoconstriction in obese and nonobese normotensive and hypertensive patients.