A new blood pressure measuring device which can also detect a dangerous heart condition has been backed by the NHS watchdog.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence says GPs could use it routinely to spot more patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
AF is an erratic and often fast heartbeat affecting 800,000 people in the UK and is a major cause of stroke.
The device NICE is recommending in England is called WatchBP Home A.
It looks like a normal blood pressure monitor, with an inflatable cuff that goes around the patient's arm.
At the same time as measuring blood pressure, it can check a patient's pulse.
If people over 65 were to be checked with the WatchBP Home A device, it could save the NHS about £26m and benefit about 400,000 people, says NICE.
Prof Carole Longson from NICE said: "The guidance is not about screening for atrial fibrillation, but about the benefits that the device offers in helping to pick up atrial fibrillation by chance in people with suspected high blood pressure or those being screened for high blood pressure, in primary care."
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1 comment:
Sounds a very good 'device' to me. Possibly the main worry or concern is that some of the patients it could help are not seen regularly by their GP's.
In my own surgery they have a type of do it yourself blood pressure machine for their patients to use with charts beside it so the user can read what their results actually mean.
Although this does relieve very busy Doctors it doesn't replace the face to face hands on approach which many of us prefer.
I think more regular checks are needed for at risk groups but with the state of funding at the moment it will not be happening.
Grace
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