No abstract

Objectives: Atmospheric pressure is the most objective weather factor because regardless of if outdoors or indoors it affects all objects in the same way. The majority of previous studies have used the average daily values of atmospheric pressure in a bioclimatic analysis and have found no correlation with blood pressure changes. The main objective of our research was to assess the relationship between atmospheric pressure recorded with a frequency of 1 measurement per minute and the results of 24-h blood pressure monitoring in patients with treated hypertension in different seasons in the moderate climate of the City of Łódź (Poland). Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 1662 patients, divided into 2 equal groups (due to a lower and higher average value of atmospheric pressure). Comparisons between blood pressure values in the 2 groups were performed using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: We observed a significant difference in blood pressure recorded during the lower and higher range of atmospheric pressure: on the days of the spring months systolic (p = 0.043) and diastolic (p = 0.005) blood pressure, and at nights of the winter months systolic blood pressure (p = 0.013). Conclusions: A significant inverse relationship between atmospheric pressure and blood pressure during the spring days and, only for systolic blood pressure, during winter nights was observed. of a temperate climate, the assessment was planned in individual seasons. Due to the high prevalence of hypertension problem and its complications in Poland, a study group of patients with hypertension was selected, which had ABPM performed in our center. This study is the first study in Poland, which has evaluated the effect of AP on BP in patients with arterial hypertension on such a scale. The proposed method allowed calculation of the correlation between atmospheric and blood pressure. MATERIAL AND METHODSAveraged atmospheric pressure was determined for each reading of the ABPM parameters. Weather parameters were calculated as the average of the records from the weather station for a period of 5 min -in the range from 2.5 min before reading the ABPM parameters to 2.5 min after reading this parameter. PatientsThe study used ABPM records of patients of the Cardiology Clinic, Biegański Hospital in Łódź, which were performed in the

This study investigates the agreement between two methods used for the assessment of human balance system. Static posturography based on tensometers, using a commercially available platform, is used as the reference method. An alternative approach is a portable prototype MediPost system that utilises inertial sensors developed by the authors. Both approaches determine the movement of the subject's centre of mass, quantifying this movement in terms of angular speed. Data for the evaluation of agreement were obtained from 205 subjects, with each subject simultaneously tested with both methods. During the tests, the subject performed a set of standard procedures involving quiet standing in an upright position. In order to verify the agreement between the evaluated methods, the Bland-Altman, concordance correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients were used. In addition, the trajectories of the centre of gravity were compared. The obtained results show good agreement between the verified methods, even though they are based on different physical phenomena.

This paper presents a fall risk assessment approach based on a fast mobility test, automatically evaluated using a low-cost, scalable system for the recording and analysis of body movement. This mobility test has never before been investigated as a sole source of data for fall risk assessment. It can be performed in a very limited space and needs only minimal additional equipment, yet provides large amounts of information, as the presented system can obtain much more data than traditional observation by capturing minute details regarding body movement. The readings are provided wirelessly by one to seven low-cost micro-electro-mechanical inertial measurement units attached to the subject’s body segments. Combined with a body model, these allow segment rotations and translations to be computed and for body movements to be recreated in software. The subject can then be automatically classified by an artificial neural network based on selected values in the test, and those with an elevated risk of falls can be identified. Results obtained from a group of 40 subjects of various ages, both healthy volunteers and patients with vestibular system impairment, are presented to demonstrate the combined capabilities of the test and system. Labelling of subjects as fallers and non-fallers was performed using an objective and precise sensory organization test; it is an important novelty as this approach to subject labelling has never before been used in the design and evaluation of fall risk assessment systems. The findings show a true-positive ratio of 85% and true-negative ratio of 63% for classifying subjects as fallers or non-fallers using the introduced fast mobility test, which are noticeably better than those obtained for the long-established Timed Up and Go test.

Balance disorders are a growing problem worldwide. Thus, there is an increasing need to provide an inexpensive and feasible alternative to standard posturographic platforms (SP) used for the assessment of balance and to provide a possible solution for telemonitoring of patients. A novel mobile posturography (MP) MediPost device was developed to address these issues. This prospective study used a Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction on Balance to evaluate healthy individuals and patients with a unilateral vestibular disorder through SP and MP simultaneously. The control group included 65 healthy volunteers, while the study group included 38 patients diagnosed with a unilateral vestibular deficit. The angular velocity values obtained from both methods were compared by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland–Altman plot analysis. Diagnostic capabilities were measured in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The ICC between the two methods for conditions 2–4 was indicative of excellent reliability, with the ICC > 0.9 (p < 0.001), except for Condition 1 (standing stance, eyes open) ICC = 0.685, p < 0.001, which is indicative of moderate reliability. ROC curve analysis of angular velocity for condition 4 represents the most accurate differentiating factor with AUC values of 0.939 for SP and 0.953 for MP. This condition also reported the highest sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV values with 86.4%, 87.7%, 80%, and 90.5% for SP, and 92.1%, 84.6%, 77.8%, and 94.8% for MP, respectively. The newly developed MediPost device has high sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing between healthy individuals and patients with a unilateral vestibular deficit.