Increasing paced heart rate reduces cerebral pulsatility
A J S Webb, J Thomas, O Llwyd, N Herring · 2026
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Description
The pulse that each heartbeat sends through brain arteries is tracked by a measure called the pulsatility index. High values are linked to disease of the brain's small vessels. In a 2026 study, Webb and co-authors ask a simple question: does raising heart rate lower that pulse measure?
They studied twenty people receiving pacemakers for a slow heart rate. As the paced rate rose from 50 toward 100 beats per minute, ultrasound readings from a main brain artery fell steadily. Each ten-beat rise cut the index by about 0.07, through lower peak flow speed and higher flow between beats. Because the change was caused by pacing, the authors suggest heart rate itself could become a way to ease pressure pulses in the brain.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | A J S Webb, J Thomas, O Llwyd, N Herring |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 41 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |