Hypertension in Dementia - 24 hour Blood Pressure

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    The tolerability of ambulatory blood pressure measurements in people with moderate to severe dementia

  • IRAS ID

    249221

  • Contact name

    Tomas J Welsh

  • Contact email

    tomas.welsh@nhs.net

  • Sponsor organisation

    Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trusty

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    0 years, 6 months, 2 days

  • Research summary

    People with dementia are at very high risk of falling with up to 8 times the risk of their cognitively intact peers. Cardiovascular instability, in particular orthostatic hypotension, is a significant risk factor for falls in people with dementia and is potentially modifiable, but intervention relies on this problem being correctly identified. Blood pressure variability is higher in people with dementia and white-coat hypertension is common rendering clinic blood pressures unreliable. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring avoids these concerns; but its tolerability in people with dementia is uncertain, particularly in those with more severe impairment who are at a significantly high risk of falling.
    This project proposes to recruit people with a diagnosis of moderate to severe dementia to test the tolerability of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and the ability of this method to record a useful proportion of successful measurements. If the project demonstrates that this approach is feasible then, in the future, this would allow improved identification of risk factors for falling and hence guide potential interventions.

  • REC name

    Wales REC 7

  • REC reference

    19/WA/0048

  • Date of REC Opinion

    25 Feb 2019

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion