Non-Invasive True BP Measurement?

Probably the best way currently available is the same technique you'd use to detect mineral buildups in the water pipes in your house - measure the pressure in the basement and on the second floor. The calibration is, I believe, empirical, but is generally known. So, measure BP in the ankle and then in the arm. Obtain a ratio. BUT, you should automatically have consulted a doctor before measuring ankle BP, so now ask him/her what that ratio tells you.

With the viscosity of blood, friction in the arteries due to flow, action of cillia, the microsprite by the aorta with the pinch clamp, etc., you are not going to get the kind of differential BP you will get with basement/attic water pipes. Perhaps if you took arm-in-the-air and ankle invasive measurements and correlated against cuff measurements, you could use this for tracking and changes, but an occasional invasive confirmation/recalibration would seem valuable now and then.

Nice idea though. When you can't measure directly it is the height of technical creativity to figure out how to sneak in with an indirect/relative/differential method.

What are you looking for? All advances in technology, and that includes medicine, is based on "bootstrapping" existing technology. Consider that, over the years, we managed to build lathes with perhaps 0.00005" runout, starting with one that had maybe 1" runout.

I'm thinking that many people are taking BP meds based on bad info. We need a way to differentiate hypertension from hardening of the arteries, so we can treat the correct problem.

How about treating indicated hypertension for how it presents? If you measure a drop in blood pressure, you know you picked the correct cause. If hypertension persists, go to plan B.

The drug companies don't want accurate information! Are you trying to hurt their profits?? Don't you realize if you're a daily drug addict until you die you're a fantastic revenue stream for them!

I saw an article recently about a hi-def web cam based application, using a mirror, that permitted accurate non-invasive method of bp measurement.

(this isn't the article I read earlier... but I can't find it right now... same stuff I think)

chris