Analysis of Correlation between Heart Rate and Pulse Wave Velocity using Cardiovascular Simulator

In clinical studies, the effect of heart rate (HR) alone as feedback for maintaining homeostasis cannot be observed. Therefore, in this study, the effect of HR on pulse wave velocity (PWV) was investigated using a simulator without feedback. This was achieved via a one-tube model that simplifies the human arterial system and an arterial tree model similar to the human body, using a cardiovascular simulator. The one-tube model measured the pressure waveform at two measuring points 1.2 m apart, while the arterial tree model measured the pressure waveform in the carotid and femoral arteries. In the one-tube experiment, the effects of HR, mean pressure (MP), and stroke volume (SV) on PWV were independently investigated. PWV was found to increase as HR increased, but was not affected when MP and SV were changed. Further, in the arterial tree model experiment, it was observed that the PWV increased with an increase in HR. The results of this study showed that even in a simulator containing a human arterial model made of silicone material with no human feedback action, changes in HR alone affect the PWV.