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PRESSURE WAVE VELOCITY IN THE HUMAN AORTA *
Author(s) -
Nielsen B. Lyager,
Nielsen J. Straede,
Fabricius J.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1968.tb01273.x
Subject(s) - medicine , blood pressure , cardiology , pulse pressure , aortic pressure , pulse wave velocity , aorta , diastole
A bstract After introduction of a catheter into the aorta, the pressure wave velocity was measured in 26 subjects whose ages ranged from 9 to 68 years. The first site of registration was approximately 10 cm from the aortic valve, and the second was 50 cm distal to the first. At both sites the time difference was measured between the R‐wave of the electrocardiogram and the foot of the pressure wave (T Prox. and T Dist. ). The time difference T 50 (T Dist. – T Prox. ) and the distance between the sites of registration (50 cm) were used for the calculation of the pressure wave velocity (PWV). Four of the 26 subjects were normal; the others had some form of heart disease, including disease of the valves, hypertension and aortic atherosclerosis. Nevertheless, the values found for pressure wave velocity were in agreement with those stated in literature. A significant correlation was found between T 50 and age (r = —0.788), between T 50 and the proximal systolic blood pressure (r = −0.537), and between T 50 and the proximal pulse pressure (r = −0.491), but not between T 50 and the cardiac output and peripheral arterial resistance. There was no correlation between the proximal diastolic blood pressure and T 50 , possibly owing to the fact that all the patients had a diastolic blood pressure below 100 mm Hg. There was no significant difference between the coefficient of correlation for T 50 and age (−0.788) and the multiple coefficient of correlation for T 50 and age and systolic blood pressure proximal in the aorta (−0.811). Four patients had arteriographic aortic atherosclerosis. Two of these had lower T 50 values than would be expected according to the proximal systolic blood pressure and the pulse pressure, but after exercise the values were within the normal range (±2 s.d.) Owing to the dominating influence of age on T 50 and the considerable spreading of these values, it is not likely that the determination of pulse wave velocity will be of clinical value, for example, in the diagnosis of atherosclerosis.