COMPARISON OF OFFICE BP MEASUREMENTS BY VARIOUS BP MONITORS IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

Abstract

Objective: Comparison of various types of BP measurement (BPM) is controversial. It also depends on a study design used. Design and method: Dabl validated BP monitors Nissei DM-3000 (both auscultatory and oscillometric), SunTech-CT40 (mean of 5 successive automated unattended BPMs - quiet room) and Fora P30Plus in both conditions were used for office BPM in triplets by one physician at the entry and exit of the 3 monthś home BP telemonitoring study. 93 treated essential hypertensives aged 26–85 years, 57% males, were referred by their physicians as well controlled. Their therapy was not changed during this study. Those starting BPMs in the office at the entry started BPMs in the quiet room at the exit and vice versa, approximately at the same time. The effect of methods of BPM at the entry and exit of the study on the systolic BP was evaluated using a linear mixed model adjusted for gender, age and BMI. Results: The interaction of BPM method vs. study phase (entry/exit) showed a significant effect on systolic BP (SBP) values (p < 0.001). Significantly higher SBP values were measured using Fora in the quiet room in comparison with all the other methods of BPM and/or settings only at the entry (Table 1), whereas those measured at the exit did not differ significantly. There were no significant differences among other methods either. SBP measured by Fora was not dependent on the measurement order (physician/quiet room) significantly (p = 0.279). The first self-measurement SBP values of the study in the quiet room were higher probably due to a stress from the first contact with a telemonitoring equipment. Conclusions: In this pilot study we found significant differences between BPM methods used in systolic BP measurement, Fora showed higher SBP values in the quiet room only at the entry. We did not prove any influence of measurement order when Fora was used in both attended and unattended conditions. Contrary to others, our results suggest that different BPM methods/conditions could give comparable SBP values, if performed correctly.