title: Comparison of Microlife BP A200 Plus and Omron M6 blood pressure monitors to detect atrial fibrillation in hypertensive patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-monitoring home blood pressure (BP) devices are currently recommended for long-term follow-up of hypertension and its management. Some of these devices are integrated with algorithms aimed at detecting atrial fibrillation (AF), which is common essential hypertension. This study was designed to compare the diagnostic accuracy of two widely diffused home BP monitoring devices in detecting AF in an unselected population of outpatients referred to a hypertension clinic because of high BP.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 503 consecutive patients the authors simultaneously compared the accuracy of the Microlife(®) BP A200 Plus (Microlife) and the OMRON(®) M6 (OMRON) home BP devices, in detecting AF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Systolic and diastolic BP as well as heart rate (HR) values detected by the two devices were not significantly different. Pulse irregularity was detected in 124 and 112 patients with the OMRON M6 and Microlife BP A200 Plus devices, respectively. Simultaneous electrocardiogram (ECG) recording revealed that pulse irregularity was due to AF in 101 patients. Pulse irregularity detected by the OMRON M6 device corresponded to AF in 101, to supraventricular premature beats in 18, and to frequent premature ventricular beat in five patients, respectively. Pulse irregularity detected by the Microlife BP A200 Plus device corresponded to AF in 93, to supraventricular premature beats in 14, and to ventricular premature beats in five patients. The sensitivity for detecting AF was 100%, the specificity was 92%, and diagnostic accuracy 95% for the OMRON M6 and 100%, 92%, and 95 for the Microlife BP A200 Plus, respectively. AF was newly diagnosed by ECG recordings in 47 patients, and was detected in all patients by the OMRON device, and in 42 patients by the Microlife device.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that OMRON M6 is more accurate than Microlife BP A200 Plus in detecting AF in patients with essential hypertension. Widespread use of these devices in hypertensive patients could be of clinical benefit for the early diagnosis and treatment of this arrhythmia and related consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana, Roma, Italy. Giuseppe.marazzi@sanraffaele.it
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marazzi
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iellamo
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volterrani
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lombardo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pelliccia
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cacciotti
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Iaia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caminiti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies