GLOBAL CHALLENGES

New Technology Better Manages Blood Pressure

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 02-24-11 | Comments

A new device promises to revolutionize the way blood pressure is measured and managed. The technology could change treatment options for millions of people worldwide suffering from life-threatening hypertension.

Table of Contents:

New Technology Better Manages Blood Pressure
According to the American Heart Association, over 74 million adults currently suffer from high blood pressure, or hypertension. Hypertension has been called a "silent killer," as its symptoms often go unnoticed for years. When left unmanaged, high blood pressure can have disastrous results, including strokes and heart attacks.

Currently, the most widespread way to measure blood pressure is in through the arm. This method, commonplace in doctors' offices and pharmacies around the country, is highly convenient but lacks accuracy, since it does not reflect the pressure of the large arteries in the heart.

In the new technology, the blood pressure sensor is moved to the wrist to record pulse waves. A computer then uses the recordings to calculate the blood pressure around a patient's heart.

The new blood pressure device can be comfortably worn on the wrist like a watch. In addition to being more comfortable, it is also much more accurate than traditional measurement technologies. (Source: University of Leicester)

Trial patients found the new device, which can be worn like a watch, easier and more comfortable than traditional blood pressure machines.

Scientists at the University of Leicester and in Singapore invented the device, which they hope will allow doctors to treat their patients more accurately. Unlike other devices, it measures pressure in the central aortic systolic pressure (CASP), the heart. This is the area of the body where hypertension causes the most damage. The device will be particularly helpful for younger patients, in whom pressure readings from the arm are often quite inaccurate.

Next: 'Big Advance' >>