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Exercise blood pressure and heart rate reference values
Sven Gläser1, Nele Friedrich, Beate Koch
1Medical Faculty of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University, Department of Internal Medicine B--Cardiology, Intensive Care, Pulmonary Medicine and Infectious Diseases, University of Greifswald, Sauerbruchstrasse, D-17475 Greifswald, Germany. glaeser.sven@gmail.com
Background:
Besides their prognostic impact blood pressure and peak heart rate are widely used endpoint parameters for incremental exercise tests. Reference equations and ranges on both are sparse.
Objective:
This study aims to describe prediction equations and reference ranges for systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as for peak heart rate assessed during a symptom limited incremental exercise test based on a population based study--the Study of Health in Pomerania.
Design:
For this purpose, 1708 individuals aged 25-85 years underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing.
Results:
After exclusion of subjects with cardiopulmonary diseases and antihypertensive medications regression analyses revealed age, sex and body mass index as statistically significant interfering factors. In accordance, prediction equations and reference ranges for blood pressure and peak heart rate with respect to sex, age and BMI have been established.
Conclusion:
This study provides a reliable set of prediction equations for blood pressure and heart rate values at peak exercise, assessed in a general population over a wide age range.
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The average BP in an adult is typically around 120/80 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). In this measurement, the numerator (120) indicates the systolic pressure, which is the pressure in the arteries during the contraction of the heart's ventricles as blood is expelled. The denominator (80) represents the diastolic...
Assessment of blood pressure in brachial artery(one-step method)
Prepare for the Procedure:
Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
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