Artery Research

Volume 2, Issue 4, November 2008, Pages 122 - 131

Assessment of arterial pressure wave reflection: Methodological considerations

Authors
Abigail Swillens, Patrick Segers*
Cardiovascular Mechanics and Biofluid Dynamics, Institute Biomedical Technology (IBiTech), Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Gent, Belgium
*Corresponding author. Tel.: +32 9 332 3466; fax: +32 9 332 4159. E-mail address: patrick.segers@ugent.be (P. Segers).
Corresponding Author
Patrick Segers
Received 11 February 2008, Revised 26 March 2008, Accepted 2 May 2008, Available Online 16 June 2008.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2008.05.001How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Wave reflection; Augmentation index; Impedance analysis; Wave intensity analysis; Arterial function; Blood pressure
Abstract

Cardiovascular risk assessment more and more makes use of the diagnostic information hidden in the arterial waves propagating in the cardiovascular system. An important factor determining the morphology of the arterial waves is wave reflection which becomes more significant with increasing age and can be related to an augmented risk for cardiovascular disease. This paper describes three currently existing techniques to analyze wave reflections with their pros and cons to give the reader more insight into this still debated field. The first method is the augmentation index which only requires information on the pressure wave but although commonly used, hasn’t yet revealed any strong prognostic value in the general population, possibly due to the composite character of the index. More advanced and unequivocal methods exist, requiring information on both pressure and flow waves and thus having added value from a patho-physiological point of view: impedance analysis and wave intensity analysis. The former consists of decomposing the waves in the frequency domain, and has the disadvantage that the analysis is only valid in a linear system and requires the complex Fourier analysis. A more intuitive approach executed in the time domain is wave intensity analysis which doesn’t have the previously mentioned restrictions but is highly susceptible to noise. We will further discuss how according to our experience both the time and frequency domain methods can stand along each other and can be used in a complementary way.

Copyright
© 2008 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

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Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
2 - 4
Pages
122 - 131
Publication Date
2008/06/16
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2008.05.001How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2008 Association for Research into Arterial Structure and Physiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Abigail Swillens
AU  - Patrick Segers
PY  - 2008
DA  - 2008/06/16
TI  - Assessment of arterial pressure wave reflection: Methodological considerations
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 122
EP  - 131
VL  - 2
IS  - 4
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2008.05.001
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2008.05.001
ID  - Swillens2008
ER  -