Relation of the ballistocardiogram to left ventricular pressure measurements in man

Abstract 1. 1. An air-supported ballistocardiograph was used to obtain simultaneous recordings of body acceleration and left ventricular pressure in 7 patients. 2. 2. An average correlation of 0.810 was found for the IJ amplitude of the ballistocardiogram and the maximal derivative of the left ventricular pressure. 3. 3. The ballistocardiographic wave measurements displayed a high sensitivity to alterations in the left ventricular maximal pressure derivative of successive heartbeats. 4. 4. These observations suggest the potential application of the ballistocardiogram as a noninvasive method for quantitatively monitoring the mechanical activity of the heart.