[Reproducibility at 3 different points of the pulse wave velocity at rest]

The study was aimed to search in which site the pulse wave velocity (PWV), is the most reproducible at rest, and determine the best site for measurement. The 3 sites habitually employed carotid-femoral (CF), femoral-dorsalis pedis (FP), subclavian-radial (SCR) were studied twice running at 24 hours interval (D1/D2) at rest after 10 minutes in dorsal decubitus, in 20 borderline hypertensive subjects (mean age 50 +/- 14), treated (n = 7) or non-treated (n = 13). Pulse transit time (dt) was measured with a continuous doppler velocimeter according to the ECG, the PWV calculated from the artery length on each site (dl) according to the formula PWV = dl/dt (m/s).

Wilcoxon test for paired series and correlation coefficients. Whatever the site, no significant difference between measurements 24 hours apart. For each measurement, the variability and standard errors at each site appear greater for CF and FP (24%), than for SCR (14%). Study of the correlations between measurements at each site: the measurements SCR and CF are correlated (r = 0.43, p less than 0.05); those at the other sites are independent of each other.

at rest and 24 hrs apart in the hypertensive subject, the PWV is reproducible in the three measurement sites. The CF and FP sites give less consistent results. The SCR site seems to be the most practical: it is the site of BP measurement, it is correlated with the CF site, and its variability and standard error are low.