title: [Pulse wave analysis: from the basic sciences to clinical applications].
abstract: Assessment of the pulse character is one of the earliest recorded medical skills, but objective recordings of pulse waveform emerged only in the nineteenth century. This technique fell into disuse with the advent of the sphygmomanometer, but interest has recently been rekindled with the introduction of computer technology and high fidelity applanation tonometry. Sphygmocardiography is a non-invasive and accurate technology which utilizes tonometric analysis of the radial or carotid artery pulse wave and measurement of peripheral arterial blood pressure to derive a central arterial pulse wave, central arterial blood pressure and related indices. In clinical studies pulse wave analysis is a highly reproducible method and easy to apply. This measure provides important information about arterial stiffness and heart-vascular interactions. This technique may provides better cardiovascular risk assessment associated with increased arterial stiffness and allow treatment to be targeted to those most in need.
authors.affiliation: I Klinika Kardiologii Instytutu Kardiologii, Collegium Medicum, Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, 31-501 Kraków, ul. Kopernika 17.
authors.forename: Wiktoria
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wojciechowska
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cwynar
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gryglewska
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawecka-Jaszcz
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019722:Sphygmomanometers