Pulse wave velocity & heart health

[Dominique]

Is anyone familiar with pulse wave velocity (PWV)? I had never heard of it until recently, when I was looking at a new smart scale from Withings: in addition to the usual stuff (weight, body fat etc.), that scales also measures PWV. I found that very intriguing and the health nut in me ended up buying it .

PWV is supposed to tell you whether your arteries are stiff (high blood pressure / high PWV) or soft (low blood pressure / low PWV). They explain this in their FAQ, in a more easily understandable way than the Wikipedia page reference above.

PWV is expressed in meters per second (m/s) and collected each time you step on the scale (provided it could get your pulse through your feet). The values are then displayed in their mobile app:

The range they put you in (optimal, normal, not optimal) depends on your age, so my values of about 6 m/s are optimal since I’m in my 50’s, but would be normal if I were 20-something:

I noticed another device aimed at consumers also measures PWV: the MOCACARE MOCAheart, which was born as a Kickstarter project. This short YouTube video explains how it works (by measuring your pulse from your thumb). Rather than expressing PWV as m/s, like the Withings scale, it uses its own MOCA index, which probably takes your age into account like the Withings:

PWV appears to be legit (as opposed to some proprietary gimmick of the companies mentioned above), as I found several studies on PubMed mentioning it:

Relationship between blood pressure parameters and pulse wave velocity in normotensive and hypertens...

Pulse wave velocity and coronary risk stratification

Pulse wave velocity as an index of arterial stiffness: a comparison between newly diagnosed (untreat...

Large-artery stiffness, hypertension and cardiovascular risk in older patients

Nor is it anything brand-new: these studies were conducted between 1999 and 2009. What appears to be new is the possibility to measure it in a home environment with relatively inexpensive devices.

I’m not sure whether it brings a lot of added value compared to other metrics indicating cardio-vascular health: my blood pressure is normal, my weight is right in the middle of the normal range as per BMI, my Charge 2 granted me a relatively high cardio fitness score (59), so it would only make sense my arteries aren’t too stiff for my age. Presumably, I could further improve my PWV (and get even softer arteries) by eating less full-fat cheese and more veggies .

As anyone else been using PWV? I saw a cardiologist four years ago and had a complete check-up with effort test and everything performed, but I can’t recall having seen PWV back then.

[Denodan]

Great advice. Just live and enjoy it, who knows how long we have got. Known a few very fit people and diet fans, who have still dropped dead before 60 and even smokers live well past 60 and alive. We dont know what we are dealt with and dont know if being fit helps.

Think half it is genetically anyway. Soes not mean not keep fit as it has the advantage at least your active. 

Keeping moving can well lead to longer life, yet modern man has become so lazy and relies on cars rather than exercise to get around and for the elderly those electric wheelchairs are bad and made many older people very lasy.

The worse thing is them sitting on their arse and elecrating there death.

[Colinm39]

@DenodanEverything you post is so true...I feel genetics is more than 50%.. I have never had the flu, only half a day late for being unwell in over 50 years of work..

A a few years ago I had a full battery of tests  which included blood flow etc.. I asked the specialists why my results were well above average and why I never got sick, no headaches etc... The answer, "Blame your parents"...

Many years on, that was confirmed again with stress tests etc and at 78 my Fitbit Cardio Fitness match the doctors tests.. Elite athlete on some of the charts...slight per-hypertension

My doctor thought he heard something in the heart area during my last physical.. Off to the specialists..

The comments give you massive confidence.. After some testing the specialist looked at me, and said "why are you here..?." I can see nothing abnormal, your heart is normal size, valves and veins OK and blood flow is excellent..

Some nights I wake when I'm lying on my left because my pulse gets down to 44,  and while I'm typing this it's 57.bpm.

But I won't get up ladders now for work around the house.. Our local hospital gets 3 cases per week of the Seniors falling off ladders, some critical..  Mainly from putting their foot through the ladder.. Not incorrect positioning..

A bit long winded now... But when you do one of these longevity online tests it's amazing how driving more than 25,000 km's per year affects the score.  I'm 7 years younger in those tests..

I have plenty of time on the computer today because its 38oC (100oF) outside..

Thanks for the chat....