A pilot study comparison of a new method for aortic pulse wave velocity measurements using transthoracic bioimpedance and thigh cuff oscillometry with the standard tonometric method

• Central pulse wave velocity can be measured using thoracic impedance and a thigh cuff.
• Only one pulse travel distance measurement is necessary.
• Agreement with the standard tonometric method is excellent in a small group of patients.

Aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) can be measured with different methodologies, including applanation tonometry. These pilot study findings suggest that impedance cardiography combined with thigh oscillometry provides comparable results. Intra– and inter–observer variability was tested by two observers in two subjects. We instrumented 41 patients and 12 healthy normotensive controls for impedance cardiography and consecutive applanation tonometry and compared methods using the Bland–Altman method. Observer variability for the impedance–thigh cuff method (range, 3.61%–7.77%) was comparable with the tonometric method (range, 2.93%–7.37%). Comparison of the two methods based on the Bland–Altman plot revealed a good agreement between methods. The bias between impedance and tonometric measurements was −0.28 ± 0.37 m/s. Both measurements were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.94; P < .0001; slope = 1.038).Impedance cardiography combined with thigh oscillometry is an easy to use approach which, in addition to providing hemodynamic information, yields aPWV measurements comparable to applanation tonometry. Following full validation according to current guidelines, the methodology could prove useful in cardiovascular risk stratification.