STRIDE BP: an international initiative for accurate blood pressure measurement

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Public Health
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement is essential for diagnosing and managing hypertension.
• Inaccurate BP devices lead to misdiagnosis and suboptimal hypertension management, a persistent global health issue.
• The STRIDE BP initiative aims to enhance BP measurement accuracy and hypertension diagnosis worldwide.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish an international standard for validating blood pressure monitoring devices.
• To provide recommendations for accurate BP measurement tools across various clinical settings and populations.
• To develop educational programs and clinical tools for improving BP measurement practices globally.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive review of 419 validation studies for 260 BP monitoring devices.
• Expert evaluation by a global consortium of 24 recognized specialists in BP monitoring.
• Affiliation with major international hypertension societies to ensure broad clinical relevance.

Main Results:

• 69% of reviewed BP devices met the validation criteria for accuracy.
• Recommendations provided for accurate office, ambulatory, and home BP measurement devices.
• Identification of validated devices for use in adults, children, and during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

• STRIDE BP has successfully evaluated a large number of BP devices, identifying accurate options.
• The initiative is poised to improve global hypertension diagnosis and management through validated devices and future training programs.
• Accurate BP measurement is fundamental to addressing the public health challenge of hypertension.