An international network of experts including 5 Greek Professors (4 from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), under the auspices of the ARTERY Society, published the first international standardized protocols and criteria for the validation of devices for non-invasive measurement of central blood pressure. The consensus statement was recently published in the European Heart Journal which is one of the three most prestigious and high impact journals at the field of cardiovascular medicine (impact factor 15). The document is available at the following link.
It is now well known that blood pressure at the brachial artery measured at the upper arm is quite different from the blood pressure at central arteries (i.e. carotid or aorta). However central pressures regulate and affect target organs’ function and perfusion (such as the heart, brain and kidneys) at a greater degree than peripheral (brachial) blood pressure. During the last two decades a rapid development of commercial devices for non-invasive measurement of central blood pressure occurs. The proper validation of these devices is demanding and critical for their clinical use.
