How do we achieve this?
At Medi-stats, we have integrated state of the art hospital grade non-invasive technology with a patient centred health portal. Every BP check is recorded and added to the health data the patient has available on a mobile device or PC. Data supports the patient and the healthcare professional to make informed health care and self-care decisions.
To help you understand this technology, first find your pulse – just like the nurse or GP would do it. Think about that pulse. Is it blood flow? No, it is actually a pressure wave generated when your heart contracts and ejects blood into the aorta. That pressure wave is carried all the way to the extremities and end-organs such as the kidneys and the brain. Yes, the blood also flows, but at a much slower rate.
Hypertension management depends on understanding forward and reflected pressure waves.
The Medi-stats BP+ measures 14 parameters in under a minute, while traditional BP devices measure three.
There are three important parameters measured by the Medi-stats BP+. They are pulse rate variability, central aortic BP and the pulse waveform.
Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
Pulse rate variability (PRV) detects Atrial Fibrillation with 96% sensitivity compared to a 12-lead ECG.⁴ ⁵ A 10 sec snapshot visualises rhythm abnormalities.
The Medi-stats BP+ detects variability in pulse rate opportunistically during the one minute process of accessing BP, which was found by Sluyter et al, to accurately predict atrial fibrillation and cerebrovascular events in a large, population based cohort. Patients with PRV above 100ms should be referred immediately to rule out AF by means of a 12-lead ECG.
Brachial and Central Aortic Systolic Blood Pressure (± 95% CI)
Why’s is Central Aortic BP important
Central pulse pressure is the pressure affecting end-organs.
Antihypertensives have a differential effect on central aortic BP compared to brachial BP.
Atenolol does not lower central systolic BP to the same level as amlodipine does. This is very relevant information to consider with treatment.
The pulse waveform
Where arteries fork or change in diameter, a reflected wave is formed, moving back towards the heart and arrives at the heart to affect central pulse pressure.
Brachial artery and wave reflections - anatomy
The model is not a simple tube system with the wave starting at one end and reflected at the other end. It is a complex system of back and forth culminating as a total wave arriving back at the heart. Much like in our animation below.
