Korean J Intern Med.  2009 Mar;24(1):19-23. 10.3904/kjim.2009.24.1.19.

Reproducibility of Regional Pulse Wave Velocity in Healthy Subjects

• Lee NB
• Park CG

• KMID: 1785637
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2009.24.1.19

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Despite the clinical importance and widespread use of pulse wave velocity (PWV), there are no standards for pulse sensors or for system requirements to ensure accurate pulse wave measurement. We assessed the reproducibility of PWV values using a newly developed PWV measurement system. METHODS: The system used in this study was the PP-1000, which simultaneously provides regional PWV values from arteries at four different sites (carotid, femoral, radial, and dorsalis pedis). Seventeen healthy male subjects without any cardiovascular disease participated in this study. Two observers performed two consecutive measurements in the same subject in random order. To evaluate the reproducibility of the system, two sets of analyses (within-observer and between-observer) were performed. RESULTS: The means+/-SD of PWV for the aorta, arm, and leg were 7.0+/-1.48, 8.43+/-1.14, and 8.09+/-0.98 m/s as measured by observer A and 6.76+/-1.00, 7.97+/-0.80, and 7.97+/-0.72 m/s by observer B, respectively. Betweenobserver differences for the aorta, arm, and leg were 0.14+/-0.62, 0.18+/-0.84, and 0.07+/-0.86 m/s, respectively, and the correlation coefficients were high, especially for aortic PWV (r=0.93). All the measurements showed significant correlation coefficients, ranging from 0.94 to 0.99. CONCLUSIONS: The PWV measurement system used in this study provides accurate analysis results with high reproducibility. It is necessary to provide an accurate algorithm for the detection of additional features such as flow wave, reflection wave, and dicrotic notch from a pulse waveform.

Keyword

Pulse wave velocity; Cardiovascular disease; Reproducibility; Pulse sensor; Arterial stiffness

MeSH Terms

Adult
Blood Flow Velocity/*physiology
Carotid Arteries/*physiology
Femoral Artery/*physiology
Foot/*blood supply
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Radial Artery/*physiology
Reference Values
Regional Blood Flow/*physiology
Reproducibility of Results
Vascular Diseases/diagnosis
Vascular Resistance/physiology
Young Adult