Central blood pressure estimation by using N-point moving average method in the brachial pulse wave

Recently, a method of estimating the central systolic blood pressure (C-SBP) using an N-point moving average method in the radial or brachial artery waveform has been reported. Then, we investigated the relationship between the C-SBP estimated from the brachial artery pressure waveform using the N-point moving average method and the C-SBP measured invasively using a catheter. C-SBP using a N/6 moving average method from the scaled right brachial artery pressure waveforms using VaSera VS-1500 was calculated. This estimated C-SBP was compared with the invasively measured C-SBP within a few minutes. In 41 patients who underwent cardiac catheterization (mean age: 65 years), invasively measured C-SBP was significantly lower than right cuff-based brachial BP (138.2±26.3 vs 141.0±24.9 mm Hg, difference −2.78±1.36 mm Hg, P =0.048). The cuff-based SBP was significantly higher than invasive measured C-SBP in subjects with younger than 60 years old. However, the estimated C-SBP using a N/6 moving average method from the scaled right brachial artery pressure waveforms and the invasively measured C-SBP did not significantly differ (137.8±24.2 vs 138.2±26.3 mm Hg, difference −0.49±1.39, P =0.73). N/6-point moving average method using the non-invasively acquired brachial artery waveform calibrated by the cuff-based brachial SBP was an accurate, convenient and useful method for estimating C-SBP. Thus, C-SBP can be estimated simply by applying a regular arm cuff, which is greatly feasible in the practical medicine.