Stergiou of Sotiria Hospital of Athens (Greece) and colleagues assessed the automatic device in 73 people: 27 with atrial fibrillation, 23 with arrhythmia other than atrial fibrillation and 23 reference persons in sinus rhythm.

Overall, rose to 217 blood pressure measurements, all with simultaneous ECG monitoring.

The authors note that when the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation was based in a single measurement, the sensitivity of the algorithm was 93% and specificity of 89%.

Under optimal circumstances (three measurements with at least two to diagnose atrial fibrillation) the sensitivity was 100% and specificity of 89%, indicating a “near perfect match” with the electrocardiograph diagnosis.

Under these optimal circumstances (diagnosis based on two measurements at least three positive) diagnosis of atrial fibrillation was incorrect in five people.

In all these cases, patients had arrhythmia other than atrial fibrillation in the three measurements.

Dr. Stergiou told Reuters Health that long-term self-monitoring of hypertensive patients using a device equipped with an atrial fibrillation detector would allow an earlier diagnosis without additional screening costs.

He added that the “implementation of this technology should be evaluated in other devices for measuring blood pressure and for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring 24-hour blood pressure (especially in patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation), which could also contribute to Early detection of undiagnosed atrial fibrillation and therefore the prevention of stroke. ”

“Additional research is needed on the accuracy of electronic blood pressure monitors in patients with atrial fibrillation, aimed at improving the treatment of hypertension in these patients.”

In a study of 250 Danish adults stricken by a heart attack, Canadian researchers used a tensiometer to intermittently block the blood flow to an arm, an intervention that is started when the patient is transported to hospital by ambulance.

This intervention was developed by the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. It greatly limit the damage to heart muscle when a heart artery is blocked.

The sphygmomanometer is inflated for five minutes, then deflated for five minutes, the sequence is repeated four times. The operation lasts between 35 and 40 minutes.

Once at the hospital, the patient receives a typical treatment for a heart attack, including an angioplasty in which an inflatable balloon is used to open an artery blocked or obstructed.

The study, to be published Friday in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, says that patients who took the blood pressure response with the sustained 30 percent less damage to heart muscle compared to those who have not received this treatment.

The damage was even reduced by 50 per cent among patients who suffered heart attacks the most devastating.

A leading researcher, Dr. Andrew Redington of Sick Kids, said that the idea behind this technique has been circulating for about 25 years.

When tissues are deprived of blood and oxygen intermittently, he said, it seems to prepare for a more prolonged interruption and a protective substance began to circulate in the body. And as the substance spreads throughout the body, it protects all the organs including the heart.

If Dr. Redington was encouraged by these results, it warns that further studies should be conducted even before the intervention becomes common practice.

His team is developing a particular automated blood pressure monitor that would make intervention easier and more efficient for staff health.

Incoming search terms for the article:

Thus the blood pressure but can be successful and will be sent to exact values, certain guidelines are met. Is always measured on the inside of the wrist. The cuff is applied to the artery. To obtain accurate measurement data, it is necessary to first consider the wrist at heart level to. The short time that requires a blood pressure measurement should be spent in silence. That is, it is a relaxed position – for example, sitting or lying position to take -. Nor can it be said, to avoid incorrect measurements during the measurement. Fairs give instructions on how to correct the manuals of the wrist blood pressure monitors that are located in the packaging of products.

The calculated pressure is shown on a display. There appear several levels – firstly, the systolic, upper blood pressure and secondly, the diastolic, the lower pressure. In addition, modern digital blood pressure monitors also indicate the pulse rate.