Comparison of Arterial Stiffness between the Dominant and Non-Dominant Hands

The goal of the study was to assess the peripheral arterial stiffness by using pulse wave velocity (PWV) in dominant and non-dominant hands. The study recruited fifty-eight subjects who were separated into Control group (N=29) and Exercise group (N=29). Pressure waves were in brachial and finger arteries were simultaneously measured with author-designed cuff pressure devices. PWV was calculated as the length from the upper arm cuff to finger cuff divided by the propagation time. In the 58 subjects, PWV (471 +/- 158 cm/sec) measured from the non-dominant hands was found to be significantly greater than that (444 +/- 147 cm/sec) in the dominant hands (p<0.05). Also, in the exercise group (N=29), their dominant hands had significantly smaller PWV (398 +/- 126 cm/sec) than non-dominant hands (425 +/- 130 cm/sec) (p<0.01). In summary, dominant rather than non-dominant hands have decreased arterial stiffness, mostly due to its frequent usage in daily life.