Effects of wearing graduated elastic compression stockings on arterial stiffness / 体力科学

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to determine the effects of wearing graduated elastic compression stockings (GCSs) on arterial stiffness. The study included 10 healthy men who were randomly assigned to undergo trials with and without GCSs on separate days. Baseline measurements of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), heart rate, and brachial blood pressure (BP) were obtained in the supine position after the subjects had rested for 20 min without GCSs. The order of the trials (with or without GCSs) was set randomly. During both trials, data for these parameters were collected with the subjects in the supine position, after they had rested for 20 min. After both trials, the brachial BP did not significantly change from the baseline values. baPWV significantly decreased after trials with GCSs (from 1153.0 ± 123.4 to 1078.1 ± 134.3 cm/s, P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed after trials without GCSs (from 1125.2 ± 118.7 to 1134.5 ± 100.9 cm/s). In addition, changes in volume after trials with GCSs (-74.9 ± 35.3 cm/s) were significantly lower than those after trials without GCSs (+9.3 ± 36.7 cm/s, P < 0.05). baPWV significantly decreased during supine rest on wearing GCSs. This decrease in baPWV was possibly caused by a decrease in arterial stiffness itself and/or a decrease in vascular transmural pressure that may have been due to increase in external pressure on the vasculature.