title: Utility of second derivative of the finger photoplethysmogram for the estimation of the risk of coronary heart disease in the general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Increased arterial stiffness has been shown to be associated with coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it remains unclear as to whether the second derivative of the finger photoplethysmogram (SDPTG), a non-invasive method for the assessment of arterial stiffness, is useful for the estimation of risk of CHD in the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SDPTG in 211 subjects (age: 63+/-15 years, range: 21-91 years, 93 males) was recorded without apparent atherosclerotic disorders from a community. The relationship between the SDPTG indices (b/a and d/a) and coronary risk factors (n=211) or the Framingham risk score (n=158, age: 60+/-12 years, range: 30-74 years, 63 males) were analyzed. The SDPTG indices significantly correlated with the Framingham risk score in both genders (b/a; r(male) =0.43, r(female) =0.54 and d/a; r(male) =-0.38, r(female) =-0.58), as well as several coronary risk factors. In the receiver operating characteristics curve analyses, the b/a discriminated high-risk subjects for CHD, who were in the highest quintile of the Framingham risk score in each gender, with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.85 and 0.58 in males and 0.83 and 0.72 in females, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that the SDPTG is useful for the estimation of risk of CHD in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tama-Nagayama Hospital, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan. otsuka@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Otsuka
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katsumata
authors.forename: Chikao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017156:Photoplethysmography / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity