A lthough noninvasive blood pressure (BP) measured in the brachial artery (cuff BP) represents the basis for the present management of hypertension, 1-3 it has long been recognized that waveform morphology [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] differ considerably between the central aorta and peripheral arterial system. These discernible differences vary among individuals because of variable timing and amplitude of arterial wave reflections.11 More importantly, central systolic and pulse pressure (CBP) may predict cardiovascular outcomes more accurately than cuff BP. 12,13 The clinical application of CBP has been made possible by the advances in computational science and biomedical engineering. Noninvasive CBP is obtained using either tonometry-based 5,14,15 or, more conveniently, cuff-based techniques. [16][17][18] Recently, the capability of the N-point moving average (NPMA) method to estimate central aortic systolic BP (SBP-C) was demonstrated. 19 Using a common denominator related to the sampling frequency, the NPMA is a mathematical low-pass filter that is frequently used in the engineering field for removing random noise from a time series. The high-frequency components, resulting primarily from arterial wave reflections, 20 cause substantial transformations from central to peripheral aortic pressure waveforms and can be eliminated by the application of the NPMA. 19 Applied on radial artery pressure waveforms obtained using arterial tonometry, the NPMA method with a common denominator of 4 (one quarter of the acquisition sampling frequency) has been shown to define SBP-C accurately. 19 However, tonometry-based methods for estimating SBP-C are limited by the requirements of a sophisticated tonometric device and a certain level of operator skill. A cuff-based technique using the NPMA method would likely be more welcomed in clinical practice given the confirmation of its accuracy in measurement. In other words, this
See Editorial Commentary, pp 665-667Abstract-The N-point moving average (NPMA) is a mathematical low-pass filter that can smooth peaked noninvasively acquired radial pressure waveforms to estimate central aortic systolic pressure using a common denominator of N/4 (where N=the acquisition sampling frequency). The present study investigated whether the NPMA method can be applied to brachial pressure waveforms. In the derivation group, simultaneously recorded invasive high-fidelity brachial and central aortic pressure waveforms from 40 subjects were analyzed to identify the best common denominator. In the validation group, the NPMA method with the obtained common denominator was applied on noninvasive brachial pressure waveforms of 100 subjects. Validity was tested by comparing the noninvasive with the simultaneously recorded invasive central aortic systolic pressure. Noninvasive brachial pressure waveforms were calibrated to the cuff systolic and diastolic blood pressures. In the derivation study, an optimal denominator of N/6 was identified for NPMA to derive central aortic systolic pressure. The mean difference ...