Watch measures blood pressure

UK scientists have developed a device which may revolutionise the way blood pressure is measured.

The device - which is worn as a watch - measures the blood pressure close to the heart, known as the central aortic blood pressure, or CASP.

Blood pressure is currently measured in the arm because it is convenient. However, this may not always accurately reflect what the pressure is in the larger arteries close to the heart.

CASP may also be a better predictor of heart and kidney disease associated with high blood pressure.

The new device, which was developed at the University of Leicester along with HealthStats, a company in Singapore, uses a sensor on a wrist strap to record the pulse wave of the artery.

Scientists then use a computerised mathematical model of the pulse wave to measure the pressure close to the heart. They say the device is more accurate than the current method in use, and hopefully makes it easier to identify those with a high central aortic systolic pressure, and who are most likely to benefit from treatment.

This could be important for younger people, as blood pressure measurements in the arm can sometimes be quite exaggerated compared to the pressure in the aorta.

Professor Bryan Williams, at the Department of Cardiovascular Sciences at Glenfield Hospital, said: "I am under no illusion about the magnitude of the change this technique will bring about.

"It has been a fabulous scientific adventure to get to this point and it will change the way blood pressure has been monitored for more than a century.

"The beauty of all of this, is that it is difficult to argue against the proposition that the pressure near to your heart and brain is likely to be more relevant to your risk of stroke and heart disease than the pressure in your arm.

The research was funded by the Department of Health's National Institute for Health Research.

This article was published on Mon 21 February 2011