New ‘watch’ measures central aortic systolic pressure
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011In what is being hailed by experts as a “scientific breakthrough” that could “revolutionize” the way blood pressure is measured, researchers in Singapore and the UK report in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on a novel device that can measure blood pressure near the heart.
The CASPro blood pressure monitor is named after central aortic systolic pressure (CASP), which is the pressure exerted by the aorta–the body’s largest artery–that extends out from the heart. CASP is a key indicator of stroke and heart disease risk, and its measurements appear to be more prognostic than the brachial blood pressure often measured in the arm.
Physicians typically measure CASP by inserting a catheter up a patient’s femoral artery (in the leg) to the aorta. The new approach is not only noninvasive, but it’s also mobile.
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