Arterial and venous compliance in obese and nonobese subjects

In conclusion, the present study shows that, compared with their nonobese counterparts, obese patients have higher stroke volume, cardiac output, central blood volume, and total blood volume, and lower peripheral resistance. The ratio of central blood volume to total blood volume, as an index of peripheral venous distensibility, did not differ between the 2 groups, whereas arterial compliance was better in obese patients and correlated with body mass index only in the hypertensive population.