Age-related changes in pulse risetime measured by multi-site photoplethysmography

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Gerontology

Background:

• Peripheral pulse waveform characteristics change with aging.
• Pulse risetime is a clinically significant feature of the pulse waveform.
• Variations in pulse risetime across different age groups and peripheral sites are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between age and pulse risetime characteristics across an 8-decade age range.
• To investigate pulse risetime variations at the ears, fingers, and toes.
• To assess the influence of systolic blood pressure, height, and heart rate on pulse risetime.

Main Methods:

• Non-invasive multi-site photoplethysmography (MPPG) was used to record pulse waveforms.
• Data were collected from 304 healthy subjects aged 6-87 years.
• Systolic blood pressure, height, and heart rate were also measured and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Pulse risetime showed positive correlations with age, systolic blood pressure, and height at all measured sites (ears, fingers, toes).
• A significant inverse association was found between pulse risetime and heart rate.
• No significant differences in pulse risetime were observed between male and female subjects.

Conclusions:

• Normative multi-site photoplethysmography (MPPG) pulse risetime characteristics have been established for a wide age range.
• Pulse risetime increases linearly with age up to the eighth decade.
• Heart rate demonstrates a clear inverse relationship with pulse risetime across all peripheral measurement sites.