Arterial stiffness indices in healthy volunteers using non-invasive digital photoplethysmography.
BACKGROUND
Increased arterial stiffness is a marker of cardiovascular damage, even in the absence of clinically apparent disease. It is likely to become an important clinical tool in cardiovascular risk assessment.


OBJECTIVE
We studied a group of healthy subjects and measured their arterial stiffness by digital photoplethysmography. We aimed to obtain a range of arterial stiffness values, and investigated the influence of age, gender, race, body mass index, fasting lipids and haemodynamic factors.


RESULTS
One hundred and fifty-two healthy subjects, aged between 18 and 67 years, on no medications and with no significant medical illnesses were recruited. The population was predominantly Caucasian (n = 112). Two measures of arterial stiffness were obtained: stiffness index (SI), a measure of large arterial stiffness, and reflection index (RI), a measure of small to medium-sized arterial stiffness. SI and RI were significantly correlated with age, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Race was a significant independent predictor of SI.


CONCLUSIONS
Digital photoplethysmography is a portable, operator-independent, reproducible and simple method of measuring arterial stiffness. Ranges of normality of arterial stiffness will depend on the individual's age, race, lipid levels, HR and blood pressure.
Brillante
Divina G
DG
St George Clinical School, University of New South Wales, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Australia.
O'Sullivan
Anthony J
AJ
Howes
Laurence G
LG
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001158:Arteries / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017156:Photoplethysmography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics
D008055:Lipids