A new and specific automated blood pressure device for exercise stress testing

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Clinical Measurement

Background:

• Manual blood pressure (BP) measurement is standard in cardiac stress testing.
• The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for automated BP devices during exercise.
• Accurate BP monitoring is essential for safe and effective stress tests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of a novel automated BP device designed for cardiac stress testing.
• To compare automated BP measurements with traditional manual methods during incremental exercise.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-five adults underwent incremental exercise stress testing on a cycle ergometer.
• BP was measured simultaneously by two stethoscope observers and one automated device operator.
• Korotkoff sounds and automated device sounds were used for BP assessment.

Main Results:

• Automated BP monitor readings showed strong correlation with stethoscope observers for systolic BP (r=0.96) and moderate correlation for diastolic BP (r=0.75).
• Systolic BP increased progressively with workload, with no significant differences between automated and manual measurements at any stage.
• Diastolic BP also showed significant association between automated and manual methods.

Conclusions:

• The automated BP monitor accurately measures both systolic and diastolic blood pressure during exercise stress testing.
• This device provides a reliable alternative to manual BP measurement in cardiac stress testing settings.
• Automated BP monitoring can enhance safety and efficiency in exercise-based cardiac evaluations.