title: Comparison of aortic pulse wave velocity measured by three techniques: Complior, SphygmoCor and Arteriograph.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  New 2007 European Society of Hypertension guidelines recommend measuring arterial stiffness in patients with arterial hypertension, suggesting a carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity over 12 m/s as an estimate of subclinical organ damage. Considering this cutoff point, it is worth exploring whether or not there are significant differences in results obtained using various techniques for measuring aortic pulse wave velocity. The aim of the study was to compare aortic pulse wave velocity measurements using Complior, SphygmoCor, and Arteriograph devices, and to assess the effect of pulse wave transit time and traveled distance on pulse wave velocity values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Aortic pulse wave velocity was measured on a single visit, using these devices, in randomized order, in a group of 64 patients with grade 1 or 2 arterial hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Aortic pulse wave velocity measured using Complior (10.1 +/- 1.7 m/s) was significantly higher than that obtained using SphygmoCor (8.1 +/- 1.1 m/s) or Arteriograph (8.6 +/- 1.3 m/s). No differences were noted between pulse wave velocity measurements using SphygmoCor and Arteriograph. Between-method comparison revealed that differences in traveled distance were significant: Complior versus Arteriograph [0.09 m, Confidence interval (CI): 0.08-0.12 m, P < 0.05], Complior versus SphygmoCor (0.15 m, CI: 0.13-0.16 m, P < 0.05), Arteriograph versus SphygmoCor (0.05 m, CI: 0.03-0.07 m, P < 0.05). No between-method differences were found for transit times.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in pulse wave velocity obtained by compared devices resulted primarily from using various methods for measuring traveled distance. It appears reasonable to establish uniform principles for the measurement of traveled distance. Because a large number of prognosis/survival studies used direct distance between carotid and femoral sites of pulse wave recording, this distance should be mostly recommended.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Cardiology and Hypertension, Institute of Cardiology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland. rajzer37@interia.pl
authors.forename: Marek W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Rajzer
authors.forename: Wiktoria
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wojciechowska
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klocek
authors.forename: Ilona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palka
authors.forename: Małgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brzozowska-Kiszka
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawecka-Jaszcz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D015203:Reproducibility of Results