Arterial diseases are heterogeneous and include a broad spectrum of phenotypes. Recent advances in vascular biology have introduced new technologies to study arterial structure and function to uncover mechanisms underlying the arterial pulse and the various cardiovascular pathologies. Knowledge and understanding of these conditions have led to the development of animal models, novel tools to characterize the underlying mechanisms, and diagnose clinical conditions as well as to the implementation of successful therapies to improve patient care.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles and review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts to understand the vascular biology of atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness as well as the development of strategies to diagnose and treat these conditions in order to improve clinical outcomes. The topics of the special issue would cover a wide spectrum ranging from genomic approaches in vascular biology to clinical trials using vascular function testing for risk assessment and monitoring therapeutic strategies in cardiovascular diseases. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Genomic approaches to cardiovascular diseases
• Animal models to study vascular biology and function
• Vascular function studies to asses various characteristics of the arterial wall such as endothelial function, arterial stiffness, and pulse wave velocity
• Clinical trials applying these modalities to risk stratify patients and monitor treatment strategies

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/crp/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: