DPA stands for Digital Pulse Analysis. This non-invasive three minute test utilizes a finger probe (just insert your finger into the cushioned probe, no needles or discomfort) to measure certain functions characteristics of circulation. Your pulse is one of them, and is a measurement you may already be familiar with.

There are a host of measurements and calculations reported, but for now, let’s look at one, which is really a combination of several factors: The Arterial Biological Age Profile.

The pulse wave which travels through the blood vessels in your finger must go in one side and come out the other. Individual factors, such as arterial hardness, plaque build-up, cholesterol, and blood pressure will effect how fast and forceful this wave travels. A graph of this will appear on the DPA screen and printout.

There are seven different possible wave profiles, and someone in perfect health will have a waveform closest to the “A” pattern. The absolute worst case would be a “G”.

So, without knowing all the individual details, you can simply look at the end result and decide if that’s acceptable to you. Of course, the individual details are provided and you’re free to analyze those as well. In fact, Meridian Medical, the company which manufactures the device has good reference material available.

The letters also correspond to the actual biological age of your blood vessels. A and B are normal. C through G indicates accelerated aging.