Spatial Parameters of Radial Arterial Pulse Signal as Biomarker of Human Health

Validating radial arterial pulse monitoring in the traditional medical system for health diagnosis and its exploration through current electronic techniques can be done by referring to arterial pressure signal monitoring in clinical procedures. Data of four healthy young and four old volunteers at Pitta point was recorded. Power Spectral Density (PSD), pulse amplitude and heart rate, from the data before lunch, after lunch and after physical exercise, of young volunteers, was analyzed in the frequency domain. The ratio of consolidated PSD below 10 Hz to that of above 10 Hz defined as Energy Ratio (ER) is directly related to physical health and was highest of subject 2 in two conditions, significantly low in subject 1, 3 and moderately low in subject 4. This inference correlated with the fact that subject 2 regularly did aerobic exercise, subject 4 hailed from hilly area and subject 1 and subject 3 were not doing regular exercise. Peripheral radial Augmentation Index (AIx), a morphological feature of the arterial waveform in the time domain, referred for assessment of arterial compliance in clinical science, was also observed for young and old volunteers. AIx indicated higher values in the old age group. The mean magnitude of AIx of the old age group and the young age group was estimated as 80.2 and 51.12, which indicates increased arterial stiffness in old age group.