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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
06:08
Pulse Wave Velocity Testing in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging
Published on: February 7, 2014
Pulse wave variability within two short-term measurements
1Department of Medical Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic. david.korpas@seznam.cz
Summary
Pulse wave analysis is a reproducible method for assessing arterial elasticity in distal arteries. This non-invasive technique is suitable for monitoring artery-wall diseases.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Biomedical engineering
- Medical diagnostics
Background:
- Pulse wave analysis (PWA) offers non-invasive assessment of arterial elasticity.
- Reduced arterial elasticity correlates with increased pulse wave velocity and earlier wave reflection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the short-term measurement variability of surface arteries using PWA.
- To assess the reproducibility of PWA parameters in distal arteries.
Main Methods:
- A plethysmography method was employed to detect artery wall movement.
- Arterial pulse wave parameters, including relative crest time (RCT), interwave distance (IWD), dicrotic wave amplitude (DWA), and dicrotic wave time (DWT), were analyzed.
- Bland-Altman plots were utilized to assess the reproducibility of the measurements.
Main Results:
- High reproducibility was observed for IWD, DWA, and DWT in the posterior tibial and radial arteries.
- RCT measurements on the ulnar artery also demonstrated good reproducibility.
- Most parameters fell within the 2*SD range, indicating minimal short-term variability.
Conclusions:
- Pulse wave analysis demonstrates short-term reproducibility across three measured distal arteries.
- PWA is a suitable method for patients to monitor the progression of artery-wall diseases.
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