Department of Electrical Engineering, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan.
Atherosclerosis. 2010 Nov;213(1):173-7. doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2010.08.075. Epub 2010 Sep 19.
Although contour analysis of pulse waves has been proposed as a non-invasive means in assessing arterial stiffness in atherosclerosis, accurate determination of the conventional parameters is usually precluded by distorted waveforms in the aged and atherosclerotic objects. We aimed at testing reliable indices in these patient populations.
Digital volume pulse (DVP) curve was obtained from 428 subjects recruited from a health screening program at a single medical center from January 2007 to July 2008. Demographic data, blood pressure, and conventional parameters for contour analysis including pulse wave velocity (PWV), crest time (CT), stiffness index (SI), and reflection index (RI) were recorded. Two indices including normalized crest time (NCT) and crest time ratio (CTR) were also analysed and compared with the known parameters.
Though ambiguity of dicrotic notch precluded an accurate determination of the two key conventional parameters for assessing arterial stiffness (i.e. SI and RI), NCT and CTR were unaffected because the sum of CT and T(DVP) (i.e. the duration between the systolic and diastolic peak) tended to remain constant. NCT and CTR also correlated significantly with age, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, PWV, SI and RI (all P<0.01).
NCT and CTR not only showed significant positive correlations with the conventional parameters for assessment of atherosclerosis (i.e. SI, RI, and PWV), but they also are of particular value in assessing degree of arterial stiffness in subjects with indiscernible peak of diastolic wave that precludes the use of conventional parameters in waveform contour analysis.
尽管脉搏波轮廓分析已被提出作为一种评估动脉粥样硬化中动脉僵硬的非侵入性手段，但在老年和动脉粥样硬化患者中，由于波形失真，通常无法准确确定传统参数。我们旨在测试这些患者人群中的可靠指标。
从 2007 年 1 月至 2008 年 7 月在一家医疗中心的健康筛查计划中招募了 428 名受试者，获得了数字体积脉搏（DVP）曲线。记录了人口统计学数据、血压以及轮廓分析的常规参数，包括脉搏波速度（PWV）、波峰时间（CT）、僵硬指数（SI）和反射指数（RI）。还分析了两个指数，包括归一化波峰时间（NCT）和波峰时间比（CTR），并与已知参数进行了比较。
尽管双切迹的模糊性排除了评估动脉僵硬的两个关键传统参数（即 SI 和 RI）的准确确定，但由于 CT 和 T(DVP)（即收缩期和舒张期峰值之间的持续时间）的总和趋于保持不变，因此 NCT 和 CTR 不受影响。NCT 和 CTR 与年龄、收缩压和舒张压、PWV、SI 和 RI 均呈显著正相关（均 P<0.01）。
NCT 和 CTR 不仅与评估动脉粥样硬化的传统参数（即 SI、RI 和 PWV）呈显著正相关，而且在评估难以辨别舒张波峰的患者的动脉僵硬程度方面具有特殊价值，因为这些患者无法在波形轮廓分析中使用传统参数。
