Philadelphia Doctor Investigating New Way To Determine Who Is At Risk For Heart Failure
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A doctor at the University of Pennsylvania is investigating a new and painless way to determine who may be at high risk for heart failure.
The method uses arterial tonometry, a noninvasive technique for measuring blood pressure over an artery. Dr. Julio Chirinos, the assistant professor of medicine at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania, says this research shows a lot of promise.
"When we compared it with other known risk factors for heart failure, that is obesity, the presence of diabetes and blood pressure, we found that this reflection magnitude is a much stronger predictor," said Chirinos.
The method measures the energy pulse wave as the heart is pumping blood and Chirinos says when there's too much pressure, the heart has to work harder and that can lead to an increased risk of heart failure. He says the research is just starting and a lot more work is needed.
Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio
