Pulse Wave Velocity: A Developing Metric For Cardiovascular Health
Norbert Health devices are able to contactlessly provide data on the vital signs that matter to health professionals, including temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, and SpO2. In addition, we’ve made it a priority for our devices to monitor a little-known but potentially important health metric called pulse wave velocity (PWV). Here, we’ll break down what PWV is, why it’s important to our understanding of cardiovascular health, and why it’s challenging to measure by traditional wearable devices.
What is Pulse Wave Velocity?
PWV is the gold standard measurement of the stiffness of arteries. With every heartbeat, blood is pumped by the heart to the rest of the body through arteries. Each heartbeat generates a pulse, and the flow of blood in the arteries creates waveforms. The velocity, or speed with direction, of these pulse waves depends on the stiffness of the blood vessels. In stiffer arteries, blood flow is faster, generating a higher measured PWV.
Why Would Doctors Care About Pulse Wave Velocity?
The stiffness of arteries is a reflection of the health of the blood vessels in the body. Increased arterial stiffness, as measured by PWV, is associated with aging, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease and mortality. Many studies have shown PWV to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality.
What is the Relationship Between Pulse Wave Velocity and Blood Pressure?
Several studies have evaluated the relationship between PWV and blood pressure. Researchers in the US, China, and South Korea collaborated to develop a formula establishing the relationship between PWV and arterial blood pressure. Researchers in France and Italy also found correlations between PWV and both systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the elderly population.
Why Isn’t Pulse Wave Velocity Regularly Measured?
For one, many doctors are not yet familiar with PWV, as it is still an emerging metric to help assess cardiovascular health. In addition, the technology is less accessible. While you can easily pick up a blood pressure cuff from your local pharmacy, or buy a consumer wearable device to track your heart rate, measuring PWV typically requires multiple points of arterial measurement for calculation. That means that physicians first must determine which areas of the body to place measurement devices, then use specialized software to calculate the speed at which blood flows between two points. Consumer wearable devices, commonly worn on the wrist or the finger, assess a single point of contact, making it more challenging, if not impossible, to measure PWV.
Measuring PWV is a process that has been extraordinarily difficult to execute outside healthcare facilities - until now.
How Can We Use Contactless Monitoring Devices to Measure Pulse Wave Velocity?
Unlike traditional methods, our Norbert Health devices utilize radar technology to assess PWV through multiple locations on the face and neck - all from up to 5 feet away. Through our contactless monitoring solution, we’re able to measure PWV at high accuracy, with no other equipment required.
Whether monitoring vital signs in the clinic or in the comfort of your own home, Norbert Health helps provide a multifaceted assessment of your cardiovascular health, potentially facilitating earlier recognition of cardiovascular risk.
References
[1] Laurent, S et al., on behalf of the European Network for Non-invasive Investigation of Large Arteries, Expert consensus document on arterial stiffness: methodological issues and clinical applications, European Heart Journal, Volume 27, Issue 21, November 2006, Pages 2588–2605, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehl254
[2] The Reference Values for Arterial Stiffness’ Collaboration, Determinants of pulse wave velocity in healthy people and in the presence of cardiovascular risk factors: ‘establishing normal and reference values’, European Heart Journal, Volume 31, Issue 19, October 2010, Pages 2338–2350, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehq165
[3] Koivistoinen T, et al. Pulse Wave Velocity Predicts the Progression of Blood Pressure and Development of Hypertension in Young Adults. Hypertension. 2018 Mar;71(3):451–456. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.10368.
[4] Willum-Hansen T, et al. Prognostic value of aortic pulse wave velocity as index of arterial stiffness in the general population. Circulation. 2006 Feb 7;113(5):664–70. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.579342. PMID: 16461839.
[5] Ma Y, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018 Oct 30;115(44):11144–11149. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1814392115. Epub 2018 Oct 15. PMID: 30322935; PMCID: PMC6217416.
[6] Miljkovic D, et al. Correlation Between Peripheral Blood Pressure and Pulse-Wave Velocity Values in the Institutionalized Elderly Persons 80 Years of Age and Older: The PARTAGE Study, American Journal of Hypertension, Volume 26, Issue 2, February 2013, Pages 163–173, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajh/hps042
