title: Noninvasive assessment of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity: the influence of body side and body contours.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recently, an expert group advised to measure carotid-femoral (cf) pulse wave velocity (PWV) on the right side of the body, and to use a sliding caliper when tape measure distance cannot be obtained in a straight line. The present study investigates the evidence for this advice by comparing the real travelled cf path lengths (RTPLs) at both body sides and comparing the straight distance (as can be obtained with a sliding caliper) with the tape measure distance.
  
  
  METHODS
  RTPLs were measured with MRI in 98 individuals (49 men, age 21-76 years). Path lengths from the aortic arch to the carotid (AA-CA) and femoral (AA-FA) sites were determined. RTPL was calculated as (AA-FA) - (AA-CA) and compared between both sides. RTPLs were compared with 80% of the direct cf distance using a tape measure and the straight cf distance obtained from MRI images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RTPL was slightly longer [11 mm (12), P < 0.001] at the right side. The 80%-rule overestimated RTPLs with 0.5% at the right and 2.7% at the left side. Straight MRI distance tended (P = 0.09) to perform slightly better than tape measure distance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The travelled cf path is slightly longer at the right than at the left body side and the straight MRI distance tends to perform better than tape measure distance. The present study supports the advice of the expert consensus group to measure cf-PWV at the right body side using a sliding caliper when tape measure distance cannot be obtained in a straight line.
authors.affiliation: Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Jelle.Bossuyt@ugent.be
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bossuyt
authors.forename: Sandrien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van De Velde
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azermai
authors.forename: Sebastian J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Vermeersch
authors.forename: Tine L M
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: De Backer
authors.forename: Daniel G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Devos
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Heyse
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Filipovsky
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Segers
authors.forename: Luc M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Van Bortel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D049628:Body Size; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis