“Everyone’s blood pressure changes throughout the day and night, and a single reading only captures one moment in time,” said Dr. Waleed Razzaq Chaudhry, lead study author and an internal medicine resident at the University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center in Largo, Maryland. “By continuously tracking blood pressure and identifying patterns, we found that AI analysis of blood pressure may be a valuable addition to help identify early warning signs of dangerously high blood pressure.”
A hypertensive crisis occurs when blood pressure rises quickly and severely, with readings higher than 180/120 mm Hg that accompany acute end-organ damage. Blood pressure in this range can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney damage, aortic dissection or pulmonary edema (fluid backup in the lungs). Hypertensive crises are medical emergencies and are a leading cause of heart-related emergency department visits.