Arterial Path Length for Arterial Stiffness: Methodological Consideration

Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) is the most established measure of central arterial stiffness and is calculated by dividing the distance travelled by the pulse wave by the pulse transit time. However, there is no universally accepted standardized measurement of pulse travel distance for cfPWV. This study sought to assess validity and convertibility of 2 most frequently used travel distance estimations, and create the simple and useful conversion equation to unify cfPWV values obtained with different methodologies for pulse travel distance.