New Formulae for Prediction of Basal Metabolism from Pulse Rate and Pulse Pressure

Abstract

In a previous study1 one of us derived a multiple prediction formula for estimating basal metabolic rate from pulse rate and pulse pressure. Recent interest in the clinical usefulness of this formula made it advisable to reinvestigate this problem and attempt to increase its reliability if it is to be applied clinically. Pulse rate and pulse pressure changes which were found to parallel variations in basal metabolic rate were interpreted as indicative of accompanying alterations in blood flow. The subsequent development of methods for measuring blood flow, and their applications in myxedema and thyrotoxicosis, have demonstrated that heat production, and minute volume closely parallel each other. Simultaneous determinations of blood pressure show that minute volume can be roughly estimated clinically by determining the pulse rate and blood pressure. We first assumed that minute volume varied directly with the product of the pulse rate and the pulse pressure. However, resting minute volume must also vary wi...