This enables the measuring accuracy of the blood pressure watch to be increased by more than 70 per cent. Clinical trials of the device are currently under way. The first measurements have already been taken in parallel with a catheter procedure - with very promising results.
After menopause, a woman's risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases increases greatly; the risk increases significantly faster for women after hysterectomy, perhaps because the uterus produces chemicals that help regulate blood pressure.
After the age of 45, men are more likely to develop high blood pressure. In women, the risk increases after the age of 65. African Americans are at greater risk of hypertension which tends to develop earlier and cause more serious complications.