Blood Pressure Measurement

This research aims to explore how PhytoRx Families, an innovative produce prescription program, can impact nutrition, health, and healthcare use among families in rural North Carolina facing food insecurity. The study focuses on adults and school-aged children, addressing barriers like limited access to affordable healthy food in lower-resourced rural communities. Participants include 30 adult-child pairs with children aged 8 to 14 years. Healthcare providers at local clinics will refer eligible families who screen positive for food insecurity. The program provides fresh produce boxes and nutrition education over a 16-week period, aiming to improve fruit and vegetable intake and related health outcomes. During the study, participants will complete dietary recalls and health assessments at the start and end of the 16 weeks. Researchers will measure fruit and vegetable intake, diet quality, food security, blood pressure, HbA1C, body mass index, and various nutrition-related behaviors. The study will also track healthcare usage and evaluate changes over the intervention period.

Researchers are investigating the management of hypertension, a common and serious cardiovascular disease that can lead to stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. This study focuses on the use of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring ABPM as recommended by European guidelines to improve hypertension diagnosis and treatment. The research aims to gather nationwide data on hypertensive patients in China to assess differences in cardiovascular outcomes based on ABPM control. Participants in this observational study have hypertension and use antihypertensive medications. They undergo 24-hour ABPM with validated devices, and their clinical information, including disease history and recent blood biochemical tests, is collected. The study promotes the clinical use of ambulatory monitoring to better detect various hypertension types and evaluate treatment effects over time. Throughout the study, researchers record major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events for up to three years from enrollment. They also track clinic and ambulatory blood pressure control rates, as well as the occurrence of white-coat and masked hypertension. Participants provide consent and data while continuing their usual care. The study aims to improve hypertension management and reduce related health risks in the population.

Researchers are evaluating a new cuffless photoplethysmography PPG chest-patch monitor to measure 24-hour blood pressure continuously. The study aims to validate the accuracy and reliability of this PPG-based device compared to the standard ambulatory blood pressure monitoring ABPM method using an upper arm cuff. The trial follows the 2023 European Society of Hypertension ESH guidelines, focusing on both hypertensive and normotensive adults referred for clinical ABPM. Participants will wear the Biobeat PPG-based chest patch and a standard cuff-based ABPM device simultaneously for 24 hours. The PPG device is a single-use, wireless, noninvasive patch applied to the chest, calibrated with three reference cuff measurements at the start. Blood pressure readings from both devices will be compared during awake, asleep, and total 24-hour periods. The study also assesses device comfort and usability as secondary goals. During the study, participants will be monitored for blood pressure accuracy and device performance, while avoiding vigorous exercise and showering for 24 hours. Researchers will collect data from both devices and evaluate agreement in systolic and diastolic pressures. Safety is monitored for mild skin irritation from the patch. The total participation involves wearing both devices for one day while following study instructions.

Women living with HIV in the Southern United States face a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to women without HIV. This increased risk is linked not only to traditional factors like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity but also to heightened exposure to social and structural stressors such as poverty, discrimination, and stigma. Researchers are studying the Stress Management and Resiliency Training SMART program, which has proven effective in reducing stress responses that contribute to cardiovascular disease. The study aims to adapt this program specifically for women living with HIV in the South to better fit their cultural and faith-based contexts and to pilot the adapted intervention for feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary impact on reducing stress and cardiovascular risk. The study compares two groups one receiving usual care from their clinic and the other participating in the adapted SMART program. The SMART program is an evidence-based behavioral intervention delivered over eight weeks that focuses on meditation, mindfulness, and autogenic training to help participants manage their stress and improve psychological resiliency. The program works by reducing physiological stress responses that can worsen cardiovascular health. Participants will be observed and evaluated at multiple points, including baseline, week 8, and week 20. Assessments include measuring blood pressure, depression levels using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, anxiety using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, perceived stress levels, and resilience with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The study focuses on whether the adapted program can effectively reduce stress and improve cardiovascular-related health outcomes while being acceptable and feasible for this population. The total duration of participant involvement covers these assessment points and program delivery.

The trial investigates whether the perfusion index PI can reliably predict changes in systolic blood pressure SBP in adults with spinal cord injury SCI during a controlled cool temperature challenge. The study involves participants aged 18 to 75 years with SCI at neurological levels C4-T12 graded as ASIA Impairment Scale A or B motor complete, along with healthy age- and gender-matched able-bodied controls. Researchers aim to understand the relationship between PI and SBP changes, which may help clarify blood pressure instability after SCI and contribute to developing wearable monitoring devices. Participants in both groups undergo a non-invasive cool thermal challenge in a climate-controlled chamber at 18C 64.4F for up to 90 minutes, after a 10-minute baseline period at 27C 80F. They wear shorts and a T-shirt while seated in a wheelchair. Continuous measurements of PI, blood pressure, and other vital signs are recorded using sensors attached to the skin throughout the warm baseline and cool challenge phases. During the study, participants will have temperature sensors taped to their forehead and pulse oximeters placed on their ear, finger, and toe to measure PI and beat-to-beat blood pressure. Measurements are taken while seated in a wheelchair for 10 minutes in a warm room and then up to 90 minutes in a cool room. The primary outcomes are continuous recordings of PI and SBP during these phases. This research may support the development of wearable devices for early detection and management of blood pressure fluctuations in persons with SCI.

Researchers are evaluating the performance of the Aktiia SA optical blood pressure monitoring OBPM device, worn on the wrist, by comparing its readings to traditional double auscultation blood pressure measurements taken at the upper arm. This single-center prospective observational study aims to validate the devices accuracy and stability over a four-week period. The study addresses the global challenge of hypertension diagnosis and management, highlighting the limitations of conventional cuff-based methods and offering a more comfortable, cuffless alternative for long-term blood pressure monitoring. The study involves several participant groups, including adults aged 21 to 85 years, diabetics, older adults, individuals with chronic kidney disease, heart failure patients, pregnant women, and postpartum subjects. The Aktiia.device uses optical sensors to capture skin pulsatility via photoplethysmography, estimating systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate without using a cuff. Participants wear the device on their wrist during monitoring, and measurements are taken automatically in various body positions and after aerobic exercise. The study includes multiple visits over four weeks to assess the devices performance across these diverse groups. Participants engage in four visits during the study for blood pressure and heart rate measurements using both the Aktiia device and double auscultation. Researchers measure the absolute mean error and standard deviation of the blood pressure readings compared to reference methods, as well as heart rate error over the four-week duration. The study also monitors participant comfort, device wearability, and measurement stability in different conditions. The total participation time spans up to four weeks, with continuous monitoring and data collection to evaluate the devices potential for integrating blood pressure monitoring into daily life.

Increasing heat exposure caused by climate change is affecting communities worldwide, especially those living in poor housing conditions such as informal settlements and low-income households. This research aims to study the impact of applying sunlight-reflecting cool roof coatings on indoor temperatures and overall health. The trial is a global, multi-center, cluster-randomized controlled study conducted in five urban climate hotspots across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania, where heat exposure and vulnerable housing conditions pose significant health risks. The study compares households that receive a cool roof coating, which reflects sunlight and reduces indoor heat, with those that keep their original roofs. The cool roof coating works by reflecting ultraviolet and visible sunlight and radiating absorbed heat, thus lowering indoor temperatures and energy use. The trial will run over a 12-month period, including the hottest months of the year, to measure the effects on health, indoor environment, and economic outcomes. Participants will undergo repeated measurements including resting heart rate, blood glucose control, depression symptoms, and various health and environmental factors over the course of the study. Data will be collected at baseline and multiple times during the hottest months and alternate months. Researchers will monitor indoor air temperature, humidity, heat index, and household energy use continuously. The study seeks to provide evidence on whether cool roofs can improve physical, mental, and social wellbeing in vulnerable populations facing extreme heat.

This research aims to explore the relationship between blood pressure and cognitive impairment following a stroke. It includes patients who have been monitored for more than three months after experiencing a stroke. The study uses statistical methods to analyze how blood pressure levels relate to the risk and subtypes of cognitive impairment after stroke. Participants will be patients diagnosed with stroke confirmed by CT or MRI who have completed a Mini-Mental State Examination MMSE during hospitalization and have been followed up for at least three months. The study compares groups with and without post-stroke cognitive impairment, defined by specific MMSE score thresholds, using regression analysis and subgroup evaluations. During the study, data such as patient basics, cognitive test scores, and blood pressure levels will be collected and analyzed. The primary measurement is the MMSE score assessed three months after stroke. Researchers will observe the presence and severity of cognitive impairment, examine factors influencing this condition, and ensure data completeness. The total participation time for each patient involves at least a three-month follow-up period after stroke.

This research aims to investigate the connection between blood pressure levels measured during hospital stays and the occurrence of serious adverse events, including death, in patients admitted for various illnesses. The study includes hospitalized individuals of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds. The main focus is to understand how inpatient blood pressure relates to all-cause mortality occurring during hospitalization. Participants are observed without receiving experimental treatments since this is an observational study. Researchers collect and analyze blood pressure data recorded while patients are in the hospital. No interventions or medications are administered as part of the study, and the research does not involve comparison groups or treatments. During the hospital stay, patient blood pressure records and clinical outcomes are monitored and reviewed. The primary outcome measure is the incidence of all-cause mortality that occurs while the patient is hospitalized. The study spans a long period, from the year 2000 to 2030, allowing for comprehensive data collection on inpatient blood pressure and related health outcomes.

This research aims to understand how the venous distension reflex VDR works in adults aged 21 to 35. The study explores whether blocking cyclooxygenase COX with ketorolac tromethamine, an intravenous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSAID, reduces muscle sympathetic nerve activity during limb venous distension. It also investigates if COX blockade changes vein sizes measured by MRI during venous distension. Participants will undergo a wrist-to-elbow occlusion procedure with infusions of ketorolac tromethamine or saline on separate days, serving as their own control. The ketorolac infusion occurs in two steps a first infusion to block COX and a second to induce venous distension. In the saline control trial, the same volumes of saline are infused without ketorolac. MRI scans will be performed while lying supine to measure vein size before and during occlusion. During the 3-4 hour study visits, continuous recordings of muscle sympathetic nerve activity, vein size via MRI, heart rate, blood pressure, laser-Doppler flowmetry, strain gauge, and impedance will be collected. The trial includes randomized, triple-blinded crossover design, and participants will be monitored closely during procedures to assess the effects of COX blockade and venous distension.