title: [Effects of external counterpulsation on the pulsatility of blood pressure in human subjects].
abstract: Pulsatile blood flow plays an important role in maintaining normal vascular endothelial function. Quantitative measurement of pulsatility of human arterial blood pressure and the influence of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) on the pulsatility were investigated in this study. Eight healthy young male volunteers aged 22 to 35 were included. A 4F tip transducer catheter was inserted under local anaesthesia into the radial artery up to the aortic arch. Intraarterial blood pressure was recorded before and during EECP. Blood pulse pressure, pulsatility index (ratio of peak pressure to end diastolic pressure) and standard deviation of blood pressure in 5 cardiac cycle was calculated to evaluate the pulsatility of arterial blood pressure. The results showed that blood pulse pressure, pulsatility index and standard deviation of blood pressure were elevated from 47 +/- 5 mmHg, 1.64 +/- 0.11 and 13.6 +/- 1.5 mmHg to 77 +/- 3 mmHg, 2.46 +/- 0.25 and 19.3 +/- 2.2 mmHg before and during EECP respectively (P < 0.05). Decreasing of systolic pressure and increasing of diastolic pressure during counterpulsation were also observed. EECP gives an elevation of pulsatility to human blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510280. gzliulei@263.net
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shaochun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Guifu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhensheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Yafei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Shifang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chengyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Dianqiu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Xuexian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D015908:Counterpulsation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011673:Pulsatile Flow