Current Methods Of Reading Blood Pressure May Be Putting You At Risk…
*** Please note at this time we are unable to offer the AngioScan service due to Covid-19 ***
According to the National Institute of the Health, the European Heart Journal, and the American Heart Association the indications are clear. Evidence proves that central aortic pressure is more directly related to future cardiovascular events, and current condition of the heart and arteries than is brachial pressure (taken with a cuff on the arm). A consensus document published in the American Heart Association stated this:
“Central (aortic and carotid) pressures are pathophysiologically more relevant than peripheral pressures for the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. It is aortic systolic pressure that the left ventricle encounters during systole (afterload), and the aortic pressure during diastole is a determinant of coronary perfusion.
Furthermore, the distending pressure in the large elastic-type arteries (aorta and carotid) is a key determinant of the degenerative changes that characterize accelerated aging and hypertension. In contrast, the muscular peripheral arteries, such as the brachial and the radial ones, are less influenced by these changes”
What does this mean? The information that brachial pressure can give us is useful but still greatly limited when used alone. A person may have a relatively “normal” blood pressure when tested at the brachial artery, but may have a high aortic pressure, which is far more dangerous and can put you at risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.
High blood pressure of any kind is a response to endothelial dysfunction (lining of blood vessels), and in turn it can create further dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction is closely linked with the aging process and the rate of aging.
Introducing the AngioScan
As we can see, blood pressure readings are most useful if read at the aorta. Current methods in the US can only obtain this measurement by entering the body with a catheter through the femoral artery (in the leg). This process is invasive, costly, and no doubt very uncomfortable.
However, major advancements have been made to provide us with a method of checking central aortic pressure quickly, and painlessly by measuring pulse wave velocity. Our newest device, the AngioScan, utilizes two photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors (infrared and red light sensors that measure changes in blood volume) placed at the index finger, can do just that. Pulse Wave Velocity can give an indication to just how quickly your body is aging.
What Information Does the AngioScan Give?
Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV) can assess Pulse Curve Wave Type, Aortic Stiffness (Vascular Stiffness), Vascular Aging of your smaller and medium arteries, and quantify your Central Aortic Systolic Pressure (CASP), all things that contribute to the deterioration of your body as a whole, energy levels and possibly other health issues that you may be experiencing.
Pulse Wave Curve Type
Vascular Stiffness
Vascular Aging
Central Aortic Pressure
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It!
There are many studies that support the use of PWV as a marker for cardiovascular disease, as well as the use of non-invasive devices such as ours to calculate CASP. We have included some of these studies and articles for your review.