Could Using a Blood Pressure Cuff Before Surgery Reduce Cardiac Issues?

Using a blood pressure cuff right before heart surgery could be an effective way to help prevent heart damage, according to a recent study.

Researchers looked at what's commonly referred to as "remote ischemic precondition" to monitor blood pressure accurately. This method involves using the cuff to momentarily cut off blood supply to a region that's far away from the heart via the arm. When blood supply is temporarily cut off, blood pressure is then determined according to a machine.

The study authors recruited 162 patients who had remote ischemic precondition, all of whom needed heart bypass surgery. They used the blood pressure cuff three times on the upper left arm, restricting blood flow for a period of five minutes followed by a free five minute period of free blood flow. This was repeated. Blood levels of troponin 1 were measured in the patient's bodies, a protein known to cause heart damage following surgical procedures. Higher levels of the protein could be an indication of possible damage.

This data was then compared to 167 people who did not have the blood pressure cuff before going under the knife.

Study results showed that within a period of three days following surgery, the troponin levels for the group with the remote ischemic condition were 17 percent lower due to the blood pressure procedure compared to those without the condition and who had not undergone the same process.

The patients were followed up with for four years. Just after one year following the surgery, the patients who had received the blood pressure cuff were 73 percent less likely to have died. At the same time, they were 86 percent less likely to have died from possible cardiac conditions, including stroke and/or heart attack.

More information regarding the study can be found in The Lancet.