• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

New Study Highlights Importance of Noninvasive Central Blood Pressure Assessment to Patient Safety

Posted on: Friday, 31 October 2008, 12:00 CDT

AtCor Medical (ASX: ACG) today said that a breaking study* in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported that slowing the heart rate with beta blockers is associated with greater risk of heart attack and death in hypertensive patients. According to the senior author, Dr. Franz Messerli (St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital), the team that authored the study believes that slowing that heart rate may increase central blood pressure (the pressure in the ascending aorta) which has been associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney disease. "Slowing the heart rate with beta blockers increases the central pressure, and obviously the latter is one of the determinants of stroke and heart attack," Dr. Messerli said in an interview with heartwire.

Scientists and clinicians have always been aware that central blood pressure and blood pressure measured at the arm differ significantly. Recent studies have shown that patients with controlled pressure at the arm who have elevated central pressure are at increased risk of cardiovascular events -- and that central blood pressure in patients cannot be determined through traditional brachial blood pressure measurements.

Commenting on the study in an interview with heartwire, Professor John Cockcroft MD (Wales Heart Institute, Cardiff UK) pointed to the importance of understanding drug effects on central pressure. "It's central pressure that the pharmaceutical industry should be focusing on," said Dr. Cockroft, "because different drugs, especially beta blockers have differential effects on central pressure, and we know from the Strong Heart Study that central aortic pressure is a better predictor of outcome than pressure in the arm."

Noninvasive central pressure assessment -- a patient safety issue

"This study reinforces the importance of assessing the effects of drugs on central blood pressure, in pharmaceutical research and in clinical practice," said Duncan Ross, President and CEO of AtCor Medical, which developed and markets SphygmoCor(R) systems, the leading technology used in noninvasive central blood pressure assessment worldwide. "It's time for definitive studies on these drug effects and for routine assessment of patients on therapies that are believed to affect central blood pressure. The dangers of elevated central pressure have been well established -- this is an important patient safety issue."

About AtCor Medical

AtCor Medical develops and markets products for the early detection of cardiovascular risk and management of cardiovascular disease. Its technology allows researchers and clinicians to measure central blood pressure noninvasively. The company's SphygmoCor system visibly identifies the effects of reflected blood pressure in the central aortic pressure wave, effects which cannot be detected with standard blood pressure monitoring. More than 1,700 SphygmoCor systems are currently in use worldwide at major medical institutions, research institutions and in various clinical trials with leading pharmaceutical companies. The company's technology has been featured in over 400 peer-reviewed studies published in leading medical journals. AtCor Medical has operations in Australia, the United States and Europe. For further information, please visit out web site at www.atcormedical.com

*Bangalore et al. Relation of beta-blocker induced heart rate lowering and cardioprotection in hypertension. Journal of the American College of Cardiology 2008;1482-1489

 Contact info: Larry Watts AtCor Medical 630-228-8875  

SOURCE: AtCor Medical Holdings Ltd.

Source: MARKET WIRE

More News in this Category