Noninvasive, Continuous Evaluation of Peripheral Vascular Resistance in Humans

• Published in: Hypertension Research Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 15 - 19
• Main Authors: MORISE, Toshio, HORITA, Motoshi, HONDA, Norio, MATSUURA, Kohki, KITAGAWA, Izumi, SHINZATO, Rika, HOSHIBA, Yachiyo, MASUYA, Hiroshi, TAKEKOSHI, Noboru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England The Japanese Society of Hypertension 2000
• Subjects: Blood Pressure; Blood Pressure Determination - methods; Electrocardiography - methods; Female; Heart Rate; human; Humans; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - physiopathology; Male; Middle Aged; Neural Networks (Computer); Nifedipine; noninvasive; peripheral resistance; Reproducibility of Results; Vascular Resistance - drug effects; Vascular Resistance - physiology; Vasodilator Agents
• ISSN: 0916-9636; 1348-4214
• DOI: 10.1291/hypres.23.15

We sought a noninvasive alternative method of monitoring peripheral vascular resistance continuously in humans, based on the analysis of arterial pressure waveforms. Radial arterial pressure waveforms were recorded noninvasively with a tonometer and analysed using a neural network method. To test the accuracy of this method, the peripheral vascular resistance was also determined by an invasive thermodilution method using a Swan-Ganz catheter in 20 subjects. To test the method in a clinical application, peripheral vascular resistance was determined by the noninvasive method before and after administration of nifedipine in 6 patients with essential hypertension. Neural network analysis of waveforms reliably yielded values between 0.00 and 1.00. Peripheral vascular resistance determined by neural network analysis and according to the invasive method showed a significant (p<0.005) positive linear correlation. The peripheral vascular resistance measured by neural network analysis showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease 30 min after administration of nifedipine, paralleling a decrease in blood pressure. Neural network analysis of tonometric radial artery waveforms provides an accurate, noninvasive, and continuous index of peripheral vascular resistance in human subjects. This simple method should permit more extensive homodynamic studies and larger epidemiological surveys in contrast to those undertaken using invasive techniques. (Hypertens Res 2000; 23: 15-19)