Validation of Two Automatic Blood Pressure Monitors With the Ability to Transfer Data via Bluetooth

Abstract

Background Patients with chronic diseases are in need of regular health controls. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is currently the most prevalent chronic metabolic disease. A majority of diabetic patients have at least one comorbid chronic disease, where hypertension is the most common. The standard for blood pressure (BP) measurement is manual BP monitoring at health care clinics. Nevertheless, several advantages of self-measured BP have been documented. With BP data transfer from an automatic BP monitor via Bluetooth to software, for example, a smartphone app, home measurement could effectively be integrated into regular care. Objective The aim of this study was to validate two commercially available automatic BP monitors with the ability to transfer BP data via Bluetooth (Beurer BM 85 and Andersson Lifesense BDR 2.0), against manual BP monitoring in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods A total of 181 participants with type 2 diabetes were recruited from 6 primary care centers in Stockholm, Sweden. BP was first measured using a manual BP monitor and then measured using the two automatic BP monitors. The mean differences between the automatic and manual measurements were calculated by subtracting the manual BP monitor measurement from the automatic monitor measurement. Validity of the two automatic BP monitors was further assessed using Spearman rank correlation coefficients and the Bland-Altman method. Results In total, 180 participants, 119 men and 61 women, were included. The mean age was 60.1 (SD 11.4) years and the mean body mass index was 30.4 (SD 5.4) kg/m 2 . The mean difference between the Beurer BM 85 and the manual BP monitor was 11.1 (SD 11.2) mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 8.0 (SD 8.1) mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The mean difference between the Andersson Lifesense BDR 2.0 and the manual BP monitor was 3.2 (SD 10.8) mmHg for SBP and 4.2 (SD 7.2) mmHg for DBP. The automatic BP measurements were significantly correlated ( P <.001) with the manual BP measurement values (Andersson Lifesense BDR 2.0: r =0.78 for SBP and r =0.71 for DBP; Beurer BM 85: r =0.78 for SBP and r =0.69 for DBP). Conclusions The two automatic BP monitors validated measure sufficiently accurate on a group level, with the Andersson Lifesense BDR 2.0 more often falling within the ranges for what is acceptable in clinical practice compared with the Beurer BM 85.

Analysis of the Implementation, User Perspectives, and Feedback From a Mobile Health Intervention for Individuals Living With Hypertension (DREAM-GLOBAL): Mixed Methods Study

“…The DREAM-GLOBAL system used minimal resources, requiring only the server, devices, and bulk SMS transmission. Transmission of blood pressure data has also recently been validated [20]. This system can easily be scaled to additional participants, with minimal additional costs.…”

Home versus Clinic Blood Pressure Monitoring: Evaluating Applicability in Hypertension Management via Telemedicine

“…The arm circumference was measured, and the appropriate cuff size was selected. Following a 5 min rest period, a blood pressure reading greater than 140/90 mmHg, and at least two readings taken during a clinic visit, patients were instructed on how to use an HBP monitoring device, such as the BEURER BM 85 (EN 60601-1-2) [ 14 , 15 ], Geratherm smart (EN ISO 13485) [ 16 ], Omron M6 or Grandway MD5681, to self-measure their blood pressure twice daily (>2 readings), while seated, at home for five consecutive days [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”