a Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Immunology, University of Alberta Hospital, 11-132 Clinical Sciences Building, Edmonton AB T6G 2G3, Canada.
Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2013 Dec;91(12):999-1008. doi: 10.1139/cjpp-2013-0010. Epub 2013 Sep 18.
Augmentation index (AIx) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) assess functional and structural aspects of the vascular wall and are independent markers of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Like blood pressure, many factors, genetic, structural, and physiological, affect AIx and PWV. AIx and PWV can be assessed noninvasively using applanation tonometry. The technique is simple, but comes with a number of practical and technical limitations that have not been well documented and (or) explored. This review considers pulse wave analysis in the context of cardiovascular disease, and considers its limitations. Data are presented indicating that the placement of the probe is critical, and that the amplitude of the obtained signal is related to the variability in measurements. On a more theoretical note, issues are discussed regarding the applied transfer functions that are built in the devices to assess central AIx from peripheral waveforms. Altogether, PWV and its analysis are useful additions to the arsenal of parameters that can be used to assess vascular health and to estimate vascular risk. Yet, our analysis underscores the necessity for precise operating procedures, and calls for transparency regarding the applied transfer functions of commercial devices.
增强指数（AIx）和脉搏波速度（PWV）评估血管壁的功能和结构方面，是心血管发病率和死亡率的独立标志物。与血压一样，许多因素，包括遗传、结构和生理因素，都会影响 AIx 和 PWV。可以使用平板张力法无创地评估 AIx 和 PWV。该技术简单，但存在许多尚未很好记录和（或）探讨的实际和技术限制。这篇综述考虑了脉搏波分析在心血管疾病中的应用，并考虑了其局限性。研究结果表明，探头的放置至关重要，并且获得的信号幅度与测量的可变性有关。更理论性的问题是，讨论了应用于设备中的传递函数的问题，这些函数用于从外周波形评估中心 AIx。总的来说，PWV 及其分析是评估血管健康和估计血管风险的参数库中的有用补充。然而，我们的分析强调了精确操作程序的必要性，并呼吁商业设备的应用传递函数的透明度。
