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Measuring Pulse Wave Velocity Using ECG and Photoplethysmography

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Abstract

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a useful method to assess arterial stiffness and predict mortality of atherosclerosis-related diseases. The progression of atherosclerosis is not homogeneous. There must be difference of PWV between sites by site. Therefore we designed a multi-channel instrument to measure PWV at different sites of the body simultaneously. We measured PWV at six different regions simultaneously. Thirty four healthy adults received the measurement. We found that PWVs were higher in the large vessels, by measuring from the heart to toes and heart to fingers as compared with the measurement from the heart to the earlobes (4.76 ± 0.46 m/s; 4.67 ± 0.41 m/s; 1.10 ± 0.16 m/s). The PWV of the left and right sides were the same. Although there were statistically significances, the correlation of PWV between foot and hand is better than those between ear and foot and between ear and hand. Herein we presented a novel and reliable measurement of PWV. The changes of PWV in different regions may be used in predicting disease processes such as stroke, coronary artery diseases and renal diseases, respectively.

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Acknowledgment

This research was supported by the National Science Council under Grant NSC 97-2221- E-259-019, Taiwan, Republic of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Engineering, National Dong Hwa University, No. 1, Sec. 2, Da Hsueh Rd., Shoufeng, 97401, Hualien, Hualien, Taiwan

    An-Bang Liu, Po-Chun Hsu, Zong-Li Chen & Hsien-Tsai Wu

  2. Department of Neurology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and Buddhist Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

    An-Bang Liu

Authors
  1. An-Bang Liu
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  2. Po-Chun Hsu
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hsien-Tsai Wu.

Appendix

Appendix

Subjects

Age(yrs)

PWV(Normalized)

PWV(Ear)

PWV(Hand-Foot)

Mean

SD

CV

Mean

SD

CV

Mean(m/s)

SD

CV

1

25

0.9681

0.0567

0.0586

1.2375

0.0354

0.0286

4.7225

0.1767

0.0374

2

27

0.8863

0.0800

0.0902

1.0884

0.0719

0.0661

4.4125

0.1289

0.0292

3

25

1.1088

0.0533

0.0481

1.4964

0.0934

0.0624

5.2875

0.2207

0.0417

4

49

1.0138

0.0338

0.0333

1.4025

0.0036

0.0026

4.775

0.158

0.0331

5

24

0.9593

0.0703

0.0733

1.4403

0.0217

0.0151

4.325

0.1008

0.0233

6

28

0.9972

0.0311

0.0312

1.4027

0.0392

0.0279

4.66

0.1885

0.0405

7

23

0.9533

0.0440

0.0461

1.2709

0.1002

0.0789

4.575

0.1714

0.0375

8

22

0.9181

0.0734

0.0799

1.1767

0.1439

0.1223

4.485

0.1328

0.0296

9

24

0.9728

0.0284

0.0292

1.3519

0.0680

0.0503

4.5725

0.045

0.0098

10

27

1.0055

0.0545

0.0542

1.3397

0.0208

0.0155

4.825

0.2859

0.0593

11

26

1.0607

0.0278

0.0262

1.4720

0.0665

0.0451

4.99

0.1424

0.0285

12

26

1.0816

0.0620

0.0573

1.5347

0.0314

0.0205

5.0275

0.2869

0.0571

13

27

1.0279

0.0403

0.0392

1.4651

0.0670

0.0457

4.77

0.1512

0.0317

14

55

1.0609

0.0565

0.0533

1.3772

0.0322

0.0234

5.155

0.2243

0.0435

15

65

1.2448

0.0388

0.0311

1.6729

0.0029

0.0017

5.95

0.2347

0.0394

16

62

1.0828

0.0450

0.0416

1.5093

0.0222

0.0147

5.08

0.207

0.0408

17

70

1.1310

0.0736

0.0651

1.6604

0.0030

0.0018

5.1675

0.3397

0.0657

18

68

1.0374

0.0480

0.0463

1.4911

0.1111

0.0745

4.7925

0.0718

0.015

19

65

0.8209

0.0603

0.0735

1.2136

0.0515

0.0424

3.7325

0.1717

0.046

20

51

0.8479

0.0715

0.0843

1.0570

0.0806

0.0762

4.195

0.1828

0.0436

21

49

0.8951

0.0275

0.0307

1.2267

0.0732

0.0596

4.2375

0.0964

0.0227

22

58

0.9388

0.1612

0.1717

1.0125

0.0177

0.0175

4.915

0.2344

0.0477

23

69

1.0404

0.0257

0.0247

1.4526

0.0493

0.0340

4.88

0.1364

0.0279

24

58

0.9581

0.0403

0.0421

1.2578

0.0244

0.0194

4.63

0.1197

0.0259

25

53

1.0041

0.0132

0.0131

1.4025

0.0036

0.0026

4.7075

0.0222

0.0047

26

61

1.0243

0.0315

0.0307

1.4147

0.0853

0.0603

4.83

0.1039

0.0215

27

57

0.9925

0.0170

0.0171

1.3901

0.0390

0.0281

4.6475

0.0556

0.012

28

66

0.9552

0.0664

0.0695

1.2769

0.0380

0.0298

4.58

0.4186

0.0914

29

44

0.9052

0.0398

0.0440

1.3016

0.0685

0.0526

4.18

0.0392

0.0094

30

56

0.9030

0.0420

0.0465

1.1761

0.0016

0.0013

4.38

0.1329

0.0303

31

55

0.9409

0.0128

0.0136

1.3018

0.0151

0.0116

4.4325

0.0763

0.0172

32

53

1.2170

0.1749

0.1437

1.9809

0.0624

0.0315

5.225

0.1967

0.0377

33

76

1.1422

0.1231

0.1078

1.7863

0.0337

0.0189

5.0275

0.1541

0.0307

34

60

0.9042

0.0302

0.0333

1.2263

0.0336

0.0274

4.3025

0.168

0.039

Mean

 

1.0000

0.0546

0.0544

1.3784

0.0474

0.0356

4.7199

0.164

0.0344

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Liu, AB., Hsu, PC., Chen, ZL. et al. Measuring Pulse Wave Velocity Using ECG and Photoplethysmography. J Med Syst 35, 771–777 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-010-9469-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-010-9469-0

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