The effect of heart rate on blood pressure measurement in patients with atrial fibrillation: a cross-sectional study

This study explored the effect of heart rate (HR) on the stability and accuracy of blood pressure (BP) measurement and the optimal HR range for the most accurate blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. A total of 583 patients (383 and 200 with AF and sinus rhythm (SR), respectively) were included in this study. The noninvasive blood pressure (NIBP), invasive blood pressure (IBP), and HR were repeatedly measured ten times at 30-second intervals for every patient. Both the AF and SR groups were then subdivided into five groups depending on the HR (i.e., < 60, 60-80, 80-100, 100-120, and >= 120 bpm). The difference between the IBP and NIBP (i.e., Delta SBP) and the coefficient of variation (CV) were calculated, and the stability and accuracy of NIBP measurements were analyzed. CV and Delta SBP were significantly higher in the AF group. In the AF group, the CV of NIBP was highest when the HR was >= 100 bpm; and Delta SBP was significantly lower in the HR groups with 60-80 and 80-100 bpm (< 60 bpm, Delta SBP 11.62 +/- 2.64 mmHg; 60-80 bpm, oSBP 7.10 +/- 1.92 mmHg; 80-100 bpm, Delta SBP 7.10 +/- 2.95 mmHg; 100-120 bpm, oSBP 10.52 +/- 2.72 mmHg; >= 120 bpm, oSBP 14.15 +/- 3.61 mmHg, P < 0.05). The stability and accuracy of the NIBP in the SR groups were not affected by the HR. In AF patients, the NIBP stability was low when the HR was high, and the NIBP was often underestimated when the HR was high or low. Sixty to 100 bpm is the best HR range for measuring blood pressure in AF patients.

Automated summary

This study explores the impact of heart rate on the stability and accuracy of blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation patients. It finds that in patients with atrial fibrillation, a high heart rate leads to lower stability and underestimation of blood pressure. The study identifies the optimal heart rate range of 60-100 bpm for accurate blood pressure measurement in atrial fibrillation patients.