What is Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV) and How is it Measured?
Pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV= Pulse Wave Velocity) is a data that helps to measure the level of stiffness in the vessels and the elasticity of the large vessels in the body. It refers to the speed at which pulse waves are transmitted between two points in the vessels. Pulse wave velocity measurement is used in assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease, monitoring hypertension, monitoring the response of patients to treatment, etc. Pulse wave velocity measurement often has the following stages.
Preparation Phase
The person to be measured for pulse wave velocity must first be hungry on the day of the measurement and must not have consumed coffee, cigarettes or alcohol. There is no harm in using the medications he/she is constantly taking. Since the Pulse Wave Velocity is highly affected by the conditions listed above, it is important to follow these rules in order to get accurate results. The patient should lie supine in a comfortable position with arms and legs free for 10-15 minutes before the scan. The procedure is based on taking blood pressure measurements from both arms and legs simultaneously and processing them with artificial intelligence, which gives us the time it takes for a pulse wave from the heart to reach the groin level. Pulse wave velocity is the gold standard method to indicate atherosclerosis.
Placement and Preparation of Sensors
The cuffs of the ABI device are connected to the right and left arm and right and left leg and after entering the patient’s age, height, weight, etc., pulse wave velocity measurement is started and this process takes about 10 minutes on average. In measurements to be made with the help of the cuff, the cuff placed must be of appropriate tightness and size. Placing the sensors and cuffs on the skin in accordance with the procedure increases the accuracy and reliability of the measurement.
Detection and Recording of Pulse Waves
The ABI device detects the pulses coming to the blood pressure cuffs and determines the pulse wave velocity with artificial intelligence.
Pulse Wave Velocity Calculation
In standard methods, pulse wave velocity was determined by calculating the distance between the arteries and the pulse times taken by sensors placed on the skin, but with the ABI device, the pulse wave velocity is calculated by the artificial intelligence of the device without the need for these calculations.
Evaluation of Results
According to the results obtained, it may be understood that people with higher pulse wave velocity values have stiffness in the arteries or loss of elasticity in the arterial wall.
The methods and devices used during pulse wave velocity measurement, technical competence, the environment where the measurement is performed, the patient’s condition, etc. are factors that determine the accuracy and reliability of the measurement. When the correct techniques are followed, the reliability of pulse wave velocity measurements is very high.
Pulse wave velocity measurement is extremely important in understanding the risk of cardiovascular disease and planning appropriate treatment methods for the patient. For more information on pulse wave velocity measurement, please consult your doctor.
With the pulse wave velocity measurement, the ABI device also gives us information about the patient’s vascular age. The patient’s vascular age is calculated according to the degree of atherosclerosis, and in patients with advanced atherosclerosis, there are significant differences between normal age and vascular age.
