Pulse arrival time measurement with coffee provocation

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Non-invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring

Background:

• Coffee consumption is widespread, with known effects on blood pressure.
• Pulse arrival time (PAT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are non-invasive indicators of arterial stiffness and cardiovascular health.
• Understanding coffee's impact on these hemodynamic parameters is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the acute effects of coffee intake on PAT and PWV.
• To analyze the correlation between PWV and blood pressure (BP) after coffee consumption.

Main Methods:

• 30 healthy participants underwent two measurement sessions: pre- and post-coffee intake.
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) from arms and photoplethysmogram (PPG) from fingertip were recorded continuously.
• PAT was calculated from ECG R-peak to PPG derivative maximum; BP was measured using a cuff-based method.

Main Results:

• Coffee intake significantly influenced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• No statistically significant effect of coffee was observed on PAT or PWV.
• A moderate correlation (0.44) was found between systolic blood pressure and PWV.

Conclusions:

• Acute coffee consumption impacts blood pressure but not the measured PAT or PWV in healthy individuals.
• The correlation between PWV and BP may be improved by individual calibration and analysis of additional ECG/PPG waveform characteristics.