Researchers at Monash University in Australia are on the verge of creating a revolutionary, portable blood pressure monitoring device that can provide data continuously to patients from the comfort of their home.
In a world-first study, 43 Australian participants trialed a wireless blood pressure monitoring device, developed by the research team, which provided continual readings across a 24-hour period.
Data was recorded during a range of sedentary and physical activities i-e while sitting, standing, laying down, and exercising, during the participants’ regular day. Results were published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Blood pressure abnormalities, such as hypertension and hypotension, are important risk factors for many critical short- and long-term illnesses, with a global disease burden of 1.25 billion people. The current gold standard for blood pressure measurement is the cuffed sphygmomanometer, commonly seen at GP clinics and hospitals.
For close to a century, the health sector has used the cuff device to measure blood pressure. More invasive measures are used to monitor the continuous blood pressure of critically ill patients, which are uncomfortable and could potentially cause infection.
This new wearable technology has the capability of providing real-time access to data, and give doctors an overview of how their patients’ blood pressure changes over the course of a day, rather than at the time of testing.
News Source: Eurekalert
