Computer analysis of carotid and brachial pulse waves. Effects of age in normal subjects.

I T HAS been known for some time that aging is associated with a reduction in the distensibility of the aorta and large arteries.‘g2 Recent evidence suggests that these age-related changes may be detected in man by means of the externally recorded carotid pulse wave.3-5 Furthermore, pharmacologic agents that alter arterial distensibility change the configuration of the carotid wave in the expected direction; that is, during drug-induced reduction in distensibility the wave changes resemble those found with aging, whereas after acute increase in distensibility the reverse occurs.5m6 In addition to providing a possible index of arterial aging, external pulse wave recordings are of interest for the following reasons: (1) they can be recorded by a trained technician using painless, bloodless methods; (2) improvement in transducers has facilitated the obtaining of good quality tracings with rapidity and ease’; (3) magnetic tape recordings followed by computer analysis permit the processing of a large volume of recordings, an important consideration in population surveys or in large clinics. In the present investigation computer technics were utilized in the analysis of the recordings. The main purpose of the study was to assess the effects of aging on the carotid and brachial pulse waves of “normal” subjects. The brachial pulse was included because it has not been studied previously with respect to aging and is less subject to artifacts produced by respiratory and other movement or by venous pulsations than the carotid pulse. METHODS