The promise and pitfalls of novel cuffless blood pressure devices.

Abstract

We have been using cuff-based methods to measure blood pressure for more than a century. In fact, blood pressure measurement is the most common procedure performed today in clinical practice. But patients, industry, and forward-thinkers have called for transformation in blood pressure monitoring.1 This is because blood pressure measurement in primary care is plagued with problems, whether clinic, 24 h, ambulatory or home blood pressures are taken. In the clinic, the white-coat effect is common, doctors and patients often talk during the measurement, the patient does not sit appropriately, only one measurement is taken and often with a device that has not been validated for accuracy, resulting in unreliable readings. Where 24 h ambulatory measurements can overcome many of these issues, this is an expensive and uncomfortable procedure. Home blood pressures are increasing in popularity, but it becomes cumbersome and is prone to measurement errors by patients. Often doctors do not have the time to interpret long lists of out-of-office readings brought back to the clinic.