Reference data for distal blood pressure in healthy elderly and middle-aged individuals measured with the strain gauge technique. Part I: Resting distal blood pressure

Objective. Most patients referred to our department for distal blood pressure (DBP) determination on suspicion of arterial peripheral vascular disease (apvd) are more than 60 years of age, whereas the only available reference data for resting pressure are based on data from healthy individuals aged between 43 and 57 years. Our aim was to investigate whether newly collected reference data for DBP measured using the strain-gauge technique in healthy subjects older than 60 years and in others between 45 and 58 years were significantly different from the old reference data used in daily practice. Material and methods. Group I comprised 31 healthy persons aged between 61 and 87 years and group II 14 healthy middle-aged hospital staff members aged between 45 and 58 years. Strict rules of inclusion were followed. Results. For group I, significantly greater gradients (DBPtoe - systolic arm blood pressure and DBPtoe - DBPankle) were found in the new reference data compared to the old. No significant difference between the mean values of the gradient (DBPankle - systolic arm blood pressure) was found between the old and new reference data, although the variation was significantly wider in the new reference data; the lower level of normality was therefore 215 mmHg compared to 0 mmHg in the old reference data. For group II, no significant differences between the gradients were found comparing the new and old reference data. Conclusion. These new data indicate that reference data gathered from middle-aged subjects should be changed when DBP measurements are used in patients older than 60 years of age.