Use Of Impedance Cardiology For Novel Testing of Cardiovascular Control In Humans: Orthostatic And Valsalva Tests

Abstract

Most of the information regarding cardiovascular control in healthy humans is based on the measurement of heart rate and blood pressure. In order to more fully evaluate cardiovascular control mechanisms in the human, a full range of hemodynamic variables should be measured. Without the simultaneous measurement of stroke volume and cardiac output, with the calculation of peripheral resistance, data interpretation based on heart rate and blood pressure alone is severely limited. Impedance cardiography, because of its noninvasive nature and ease of application, is well suited for the study of cardiac performance in the general population, as well as, in the clinical setting.