Do you suffer from cardiovascular issues? Is there a history of cardiovascular issues in your family? This is not surprising – Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer in the US, causing one out of every four deaths.
Digital Pulsewave Analysis (DPA) is a test that provides information about the condition of your arteries. In just a few minutes, a myriad of data becomes available through just a painless detector placed over the finger. It uses infrared light sent into the fingertip, and retrieves pulse wave information with the light, absorbing characteristics of hemoglobin. The procedure is painless, and only takes a few minutes to perform!
Atherosclerosis is a condition where plaque builds up in the arteries and narrows them. Arteries carry oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. Due to poor lifestyle choices and the aging process, cholesterol and calcium can build up in any artery you have, or also, in your heart, brain, kidneys, or legs. Atherosclerosis results in a shortage of blood or oxygen in your tissues. One of the most unsettling consequences is when these pieces of plaque become dislodged and cause a blood clot. This condition leads to heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other conditions.
The DPA takes you beyond a normal blood pressure reading to assess further parameters for cardiac risk. Pulse pressure analysis is gaining more attention by scientists who feel that measuring more than just the brachial artery provides a more complete picture of your risk factors. The pulse is not just a unit of pressure with a floor and ceiling measurement. Rather, it is a series of harmonics that travel up and down the arterial tree sensing what blockages are in the left ventricle and the periphery that surrounds it. With this targeted approach you can reduce arterial blockages themselves rather than relying on blood pressure medications that change the quality of your blood, but not the structures that carry it.