All these years (a century in fact) the doctors all over the world have
tested our blood pressure inaccurately; consequently denying us proper
treatment. I hope they do something about it and SOON. Now the story
from today’s Independent (24 August 2011):
Blood pressure testers
Not fit for purpose
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
UP TO one-quarter of the six million people being treated for high
blood pressure in the UK may have been misdiagnosed.
The standard method of measuring blood pressure is inaccurate and
should be replaced by 24-hour monitoring using a device worn on the
waist, experts advise. The recommendation by a panel of the National
Institute of Clinical Excellence (Nice), is expected to be adopted
around the world – the first change to the way blood pressure is
measured for more than a century.
High blood pressure affects an estimated 12 million people in UK, one
in four of the adult population and one in two of those over 60. But it
remains undiagnosed in more than half of them. It is one of the most
important causes of heart disease, strokes and kidney disease and
controlling it is one of the most effective ways of preventing
premature death.
Traditionally blood pressure is taken by a cuff attached to the
patient’s upper arm and pumped up to block flow before being released
slowly to measure the pressure at which the blood starts to flow again.
Many patients suffer from “white coat syndrome” – their blood pressure
rises because of anxiety triggered by a visit to the surgery. A more
accurate measure can be obtained by monitoring blood pressure for 24
hours by using a device attached to the waist that pumps up the cuff
worn around the arm every half hour and takes a reading, all of which
are then averaged out.
Fewer than one in 10 patients are diagnosed in this way. The devices
cost more than £1,000 and drugs prescribed for blood pressure on the
NHS cost £1bn a year. Nice estimates that introducing the devices
would save £10bn annually after five years.
Bryan Williams, Professor of Medicine at the University of Leicester,
who led the Nice panel, said:”The important recommendation in this
guideline will affect the treatment of millions of people in our
country. It is a step change that is likely to be replicated across the
world
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