A growing number of western households today posses a home blood pressure monitoring kit of some sort. This was hardly the case in the last twenty years even though digital blood pressure technology had been pioneered. Just as technology is taking center stage in different aspects of our lives so has bp health related technology.
By all means this is a very welcome development. Most importantly it has significantly and positively impacted blood pressure health especially mortality related to hypertension. Digital home bp monitors for example can stand in the way of imminent danger such as heart attacks, heart failure and other related organ damage.
Today’s technologically advanced bp monitors can detect irregular heartbeat and morning hypertension. Irregular heartbeat is a sign of imminent or forthcoming cardiovascular problems. This is detected by digital blood pressure monitors by analyzing a person’s pulse rate. This information provided by advanced technology will help doctors diagnose and cardiovascular diseases picked up by the irregular pulse.
It is no small matter that modern day bp equipment can also detected morning hypertension. Morning high bp as it is also known is extremely difficult to detect f one is to rely on the doctor’s office measurements. This is because it occurs pretty much in the early hours of the morning when the doctor is still asleep at home. Home bp monitoring makes it possible for home individual users to gather data via advanced monitors which doctors can download into a computer for analysis.
There are other technological developments related to blood pressure monitoring. Recently, the American Heart Association (AHA) commissioned a successful project which involved about 350 subjects who submitted their home blood pressure readings via the internet. The readings were interpreted by professionals on the other side who then prescribed certain changes to bp medications being taken by participating patients.
The subjects never had to leave their homes. BP readings taken from home were analyzed remotely and experts managed hypertension in these patients via the internet. This role of technology is fighting high bp is promising especially in the developing countries where it’s most needed. In Africa and other parts of the world that are poorer, mobile phones are more prevalent than electricity.
Using technology it will be possible to reach these remote communities to access and promote bp health. BP readings can be submitted to doctors via SMS from remote locations to which doctors can prescribe the correct medications. The future is not only bright for bp health with the continuing development of advanced technologies, it is certainly possible to lower the high mortality rates for bp using technology in developing countries.
