Arterial stiffness in Behçet’s disease: increased regional pulse wave velocity values

Diverse vascular lesions occur in about one third of patients with Behcet’s disease (BD). Endothelial dysfunction is known to have an important role in the development of these lesions.1 Acute systemic inflammation and chronic systemic vasculitis are associated with endothelial dysfunction.2,3 Moreover, inflammation is an important risk factor for future cardiovascular events.4 These findings have led to the hypothesis that acute and chronic inflammatory processes associated with BD may cause endothelial dysfunction, which can then lead to a subsequent increase of arterial stiffness and vascular damage that are closely related to the clinical course of BD. Arterial stiffness is a reliable predictor of subsequent cardiovascular mortality and vascular damage. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an ideal indicator of arterial stiffness.5,6 …