Development of myocardial oxygen consumption index using non-invasive continuous blood pressure monitor and practical application of optimal exercise prescription algorithm

Cardiology is a crucial speciality given the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. As weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle are major factors associated with heart disease, many prevention efforts and treatment strategies centre on exercise. Associate Professor (Lecturer) Yasunori Suematsu is a cardiologist based at Fukuoka University Hospital who is working to optimise exercise therapy for patients in the rehabilitation phase of treatment. Suematsu is developing a myocardial oxygen consumption index using a non-invasive continuous blood pressure monitor and working on an optimal exercise prescription algorithm to assist in the post-recovery treatment of his patients. As optimal exercise intensity varies depending on the day and factors such as physical condition, pathological condition, mental state, recovery and autonomic nerve activity, the programme that Suematsu is developing enables individuals to easily measure their optimal exercise intensity for the day. This means that they can exercise at the most beneficial intensity for them every day. When it comes to data collection for the programme, he is interested in the product of systolic blood pressure and heart rate, called the double product, which enables him to evaluate the anaerobic metabolic threshold. His new technique enables this to be measured accurately and non-invasively using a device called a continuous sphygmomanometer, which can continuously measure blood pressure. The researchers are using this to develop a new myocardial oxygen consumption marker using the double product as a reference.