Research Supervisor Connect
Use of home blood pressure monitoring is recommended in many hypertension guidelines for confirmation of high blood pressure and ongoing monitoring. The accuracy and quality of home blood pressure monitoring devices and measurement methods used by Australians is unknown and will be investigated in this PhD opportunity.
High blood pressure (BP) is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet it is a modifiable risk factor and when high BP is lowered there is a reduction in CVD events. Only 30% of Australians diagnosed with high BP control it well, other countries do much better; for example, in Canada approximately 70% of those diagnosed with hypertension attain well-controlled BP. This poor BP control remains a major impediment to better improved health outcomes for people with high BP.
Home BP monitoring is recommended by Australian guidelines (and many others around the world), for confirmation of high BP. The first step toward conducting home BP for patients is obtaining a device. However, only 20% of home BP devices available for consumer purchase in Australia have been clinically validated for accuracy, potentially a major problem for efficacy of home BP monitoring. The proposed research program will generate new knowledge on the accuracy and quality of home blood pressure (BP) monitoring devices owned and used by Australians, the measurement methods people use to record BP at home and comparison of measurements obtained in real-world home BP monitoring to 24-hour ambulatory BP.
Participants will also undertake a clinical research visit that will include a detailed questionnaire regarding their use of home BP in-clinic and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. Separate accuracy testing and inspection of the participants home BP device will also be performed. Several analyses are proposed and the findings will generate new insights into the accuracy and quality of home BP measurement undertaken by Australians.
Research Location: Susan Wakil Health Building, Camperdown Campus
This project will be suitable for applicants from various backgrounds, such as medicine, science or health sciences. A scholarship may be available from the research team. However, applicants will also be encouraged to apply for various scholarships from the University of Sydney.
Key techniques and skills that will be used in this PhD include:
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3571