Mercury sphygmomanometers are being removed from clinical practice in the United States due to environmental concerns about mercury toxicity. Accurate blood pressure measurement is central to high-quality hypertension management. In this study of 106 patients, the BpTRU(TM) device was compared to nurse blood pressure measurements that complied with all the JNC VII/American Heart Association guidelines in evaluation of a random casual blood pressure. The intermethod difference in systolic blood pressure was +1.8+/-5.1 mmHg, and for diastolic blood pressure it was 4.8+/-5.1 mmHg (both P<0.001). For the primary study end point of clinical decision-making, there was 92% (97/106) agreement between the hypertension nurse specialist and the BpTRU (kappa 0.8280, 95% confidence interval, 0.721-0.9350). The oscillometric blood pressure measurement with the BpTRU is recommended as a replacement for poorly performed auscultatory blood pressure measurement in clinical practice.

No abstract

Limited ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is an excellent replacement for office blood pressure, done to American Heart Association criteria, in diagnosing hypertension. This avoids issues of variability introduced by the observers, such as digit preference and bias, and increases reproducibility of blood pressure measurements. The appropriate normal value for limited ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is <140/90 mmHg compared with <135/85 mmHg used in 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract