Summary 

      Blood vessels have structural and functional characteristics that reduce the flow and pressure pulsatility generated by ventricular ejection. This damping determines that the capillar flow is continuous to optimize tissue perfusion, and the pulsatility of pressure wave is very low enough to avoid damaging to the capillar thin wall. It is known that arterial stiffness is determined by both functional and structural components related with the elastic characteristics of arteries. It is also known that persistently high arterial blood pressure (BP) increases the arterial stiffness due to changes in the structure of collagen and elastin fibers.
      On the other hand, an increase in arterial stiffness produces an augment in arterial pulse wave velocity (PWV) generated by ventricular ejection. Similarly, increased arterial stiffness causes an augment in the velocity of the reflected pressure wave, which occurs in the walls of arteries and branches of the arterial tree. This condition changes the morphology of the digital volume pulse (DVP).
      In this research, we studied the behavior of pulse wave velocity in different sites of interest with regard to blood pressure and cardiovascular risk factors involved. Assessments were conducted by using the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), finger-toe pulse wave velocity index (ftPWV) as well as measures of heart-finger pulse wave velocity (hfPWV) and heart-toe pulse wave velocity of (htPWV).
      Similar studies were performed using digital volume pulse (DVP) and their relation with blood pressure and risk factors. The parameters of interest assessed were stiffness index (SIDVP) and reflection index (RIDVP).
      In this sense, from the close relationship between arterial stiffness, blood pressure and risk factors, there were multivariate regression models that allow us to infer the systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) pressure values from the pulse wave velocity (PWV), the index of rigidity (SIDVP) and risk factors derived from anthropometric parameters. The study included healthy volunteers and hypertensive controlled patients.