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THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2006 DIAGNOSTICS &IMAGING WEEK PAGE 8 OF 13MayoContinued from Page 1warning, which means we need to do a better job of screeningpeople. This test has that potential.”The study was published in the current edition ofHypertension, a publication of the American Heart Association(Dallas).The test, which is called aortic pulse wave velocity(aPWV), measures how fast the pulse wave travels downthe aorta, or the major artery arising from the heart. Mayosaid it is a potential screening tool because it is quick, takingonly 10 to 15 minutes, painless and likely to be lessexpensive compared with other cardiac screening tests.For the test, the patient lies on a bed and a tonometeris placed on the skin over the carotid artery in the neck andthen the femoral artery, which is located in the upper thigh.The tonometer measures the pressure wave inside theartery, and the information is fed into a computer for calculationof aPWV.Kullo said a slower pulse means the artery is more elasticand healthier, while a faster wave means the artery isstiffer and less healthy.“If you have an electrocardiogram running [simultaneously]. . . then you can tell from when the heart pumpsblood [where] it is at a particular phase in the electrocardiogramwhen the actual pressure wave reaches a particularartery,” Kullo told D&IW.To get a measurement, one measures the onset of thetime of the blood in the heart to cycle to the waveform, hesaid.“So if you subtract that time delay, that’s the time portionof this equation, and then the distance is simply measuredby a measuring tape from the heart to the groin;[and] then we have time, we have distance, so we calculatethe velocity, and that’s the aortic pulse wave velocity,” Kullosaid.Researchers tested 401 patients, including 213 men and188 women, between the ages of 32 and 84 – none of whomhad a history of heart attack or stroke – for the researchconducted between 2002 and 2004. The median age was60. The study used a device called the SphygmoCor Systemby AtCor (West Ryde, Australia).The research found that study participants with stifferarteries had a greater amount of calcium in the coronaryarteries, an indicator of atherosclerosis.“Previous research showed an APWV predicts cardiovasculardisease in older adults, but the association ofaPWV and the amount of coronary artery calcium (CAC) inthe general population had been “unknown,” Kullo said.Kullo also said the association between artery stiffnessand CAC “strengthens the case for using aPWV as a screeningtool,” such as in adults with moderate risk, those with afamily history of heart disease, patients with high bloodpressure and those with kidney disease.In addition to publication, Kullo said Mayo hopes thathis particular non-invasive test will ultimately become partof a panel of non-invasive tests: the first test would be theaPWV; the second test would relate to endoluminal functionto ensure that the lining of the vessels is healthy; while thethird test would be designed to assess plaque in thecarotid arteries.“What we’re hoping is that we [can] try and evaluatethe function of the arteries in a comprehensive fashion,” hesaid, later adding, “Between these three tests, we can get agood idea of the health of the arterial system, so that’s howwe plan to use it.” ■Advances in Cardiovascular Technology Vol. 3:State of the Industry and Emerging MarketsAdvances in Cardiovascular Technology features more than 200 pages of information to help you understandthe primary markets in this keystone area of medical technology in order to seize the opportunities in this fastpacedindustry:• Overview of the sector — disease data and sector opportunities• New data for 2006 — company/market info; tables and charts• Major technology developments — a review of 15 sub-sectors ranges from drug-eluting stentsto artificial hearts to advances in tissue engineering for repair of the heart• Patent and regulatory data — legal perspectives and clinical trial• Dealmaking and financing — consolidations and major funding• Major firms — review of large players in cardiovascular technology• Emerging companies — highlighting new companies with potential breakthrough technologiesGo to MedicalDeviceDaily.com to order!To subscribe, please call DIAGNOSTICS &IMAGING WEEK Customer Service at (800) 688-2421; outside the U.S. and Canada, call (404) 262-5476.Copyright © 2006 Thomson BioWorld ® . Reproduction is strictly prohibited.