CAROTID‐FEMORAL PULSE WAVE VELOCITY*

Abstract

A bstract Simultaneous records of the pulse waves were obtained from the right common carotid artery and the right femoral artery by means of piezo‐electric microphones in 26 persons whose ages ranged from 15 to 92 years. The time difference between the foot points of the waves from these two sites was termed T CF . A significant correlation was found between T CF and age, between T CF and the systolic blood pressure and between T CF and pulse pressure. After exclusion of 2 patients with systolic blood pressure values of 250 and 270 mm Hg respectively, it was demonstrated that the multiple coefficient of correlation between T CF and age and systolic blood pressure was not significantly higher than the coefficient of correlation between T CF and age, whereas this was the case when no such exclusion was made. With the method used, it is not possible to estimate the exact length of the arterial segments under study. However, T CF values appear to be usable as an expression for the aortic pulse wave velocity, inasmuch as the coefficients of correlation demonstrated between T CF and age, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were of the same magnitude as previously found between T 50 (the time difference between intra‐arterially recorded aortic pressure waves when the length of the arterial segment during all the measurements was 50 cm) and the same parametres.