Blood pressure self-measurement in the elderly: differences between automatic and semi-automatic systems.
Arterial hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor in the elderly. Its clinical control emphasises the problem of the systems used for monitoring: clinical measurement by the physician, home self-monitoring, ambulatory monitoring, etc. In particular, in the elderly population, the self-monitoring of blood pressure can present further problems associated with their situation. In our study we evaluated, in an elderly population, the differences in the self-recording of blood pressure with automatic and semi-automatic equipment using a mercury sphygmomanometer by a physician as a 'gold standard' control. We studied 28 elderly subjects using a rigid protocol for the self-measurement of their blood pressure. Our results show that automatic equipment is significantly more precise and easier to use than semiautomatic equipment in home self-measurement of blood pressure in elderly people.
Antonicelli
R
R
Centro di Patologia Cardiovascolare ed Ipertensione Arteriosa, Istutito INRCA, Italian National Research Centres on Aging, Ancona.
Partemi
M
M
Spazzafumo
L
L
Amadio
L
L
Paciaroni
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001331:Automation; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012648:Self Care