Validity and feasibility of measurement of pulse wave velocity by Doppler tissue imaging

AIM: To study the correlation of two measured values of pulse wave time: PWT1 obtained by catheter and PWT2 obtained by Doppler tissue image (DTI) and the correlation of two measured values: aortic root to a point in the abdominal aorta 2 cm below the septum and length of body surface and to estimate the validity and feasibility of pulse wave velocity measurement using DTI . METHODS: A total 50 patients who had coronary arteriography were included in this study. Length of artery (L) was measured to study the correlation between L and different surface markers. PWV1 was obtained by PWV1=L/PWT1. Electromechanical time (EMT) and left ventricular pre-ejection period (PEP) were measured by DTI, and PWV2 was obtained by PWT2 = EMT-PEP, PWV2=L/PWT2. PWT1 and PWT2, PWV1 and PWV2, and the value of distance from aortic root to a point in the abdominal aorta 2 cm below the septum and the value of length of surface were then statistically compared. RESULTS: PWT1 was (24±9)ms and PWT2 was (24±9)ms, with no significant difference between PWT1 and PWT2. A positive correlation was found between the two (r=0.91, P<0.01). PWV1 was (14±5)m/s and PWV2 was (14±5)m/s, with no significant difference between PWV1 and PWV2, but a positive correlation was also found between the two (r=0.92, P<0.01). A positive correlation was found between the value of length of artery and the 1 cm+double values of length from angle of sternum to inferior border of sternum (r=0.90, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: DTI is a noninvasive approach to measure PWT and PWV. PWV from the estimated value of the length of artery is precise by using 1 cm+double values of length from angle of sternum to inferior border of body of sternum.