COVER STORY: CARDIO TECHNOLOGIES
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Most forms of cardiovascular disease are often related to preventable risk factors. If monitored and addressed early, serious problems can be avoided later. With that in mind, one company has focused on developing products to help identify early-stage problems. The Digital Pulse Analyzer (DPA) from Meridian Company, Ltd., provides early detection of arterial wall stiffness and determines the biological age of arteries. Loss of arterial elasticity is a precursor to hypertension and more-serious cardiovascular conditions.
“What we’re finding now is that it is essential that we take a more active approach with preventing cardiovascular disease,” says Debbie Williams, RN, vice president of medical affairs at Meridian. “Rather than wait for symptoms—and often with cardiovascular disease, the first symptom is chest pain and death—there are many things we can do to derail this disease earlier on in a person’s life.”
The DPA is a noninvasive device that uses a fingertip probe to obtain pulse wave information in less than 5 minutes. It analyzes the contour—the shape—of that pulse wave to provide an assessment of elasticity of large and small arteries. The device also measures heart rate variability (HRV). According to Williams, HRV tests the balance of the autonomic nervous system and can be an predictor of illness or mortality, especially sudden cardiac death. The device’s software can also store all of patient’s data.
“This information enables practitioners to detect problematic trends in a patient’s elasticity at an early stage,” says Williams. “It allows them to prescribe preventive treatments or recommendations for lifestyle changes before serious cardiovascular problems develop.”
