Measuring pulse wave velocity using ECG and photoplethysmography

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a key indicator of arterial stiffness and a predictor of atherosclerosis-related mortality.
• Atherosclerosis progression is non-uniform, suggesting site-specific PWV differences are crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel multi-channel instrument for simultaneous PWV measurement at diverse body sites.
• To investigate the regional variations in PWV within healthy adults.

Main Methods:

• Simultaneous PWV measurements were taken at six different body regions in 34 healthy adults using a custom-designed multi-channel instrument.
• PWV was recorded from the heart to the toes, heart to the fingers, and heart to the earlobes.

Main Results:

• PWV values were significantly higher in measurements from the heart to the toes (4.76 ± 0.46 m/s) and heart to the fingers (4.67 ± 0.41 m/s) compared to the heart to the earlobes (1.10 ± 0.16 m/s).
• Left and right-side PWV measurements showed no significant differences.
• PWV correlation between the foot and hand was stronger than between the ear and foot or ear and hand.

Conclusions:

• The novel multi-channel instrument provides reliable and simultaneous PWV measurements across multiple body sites.
• Site-specific PWV variations offer potential for predicting regional disease progression, including stroke, coronary artery disease, and renal diseases.