DIRECT VS INDIRECT BLOOD-PRESSURE AT REST AND DURING ISOMETRIC-EXERCISE IN NORMAL SUBJECTS

Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured by intraarterial means and by auscultation. Comparisons were made with simultaneously d etermined intraarterial catheter and auscultation measurements. Five h ealthy males were measured at rest and during handgrip and deadlift is ometric exercises, utilizing small and large muscle mass. The data sug gest that indirect systolic blood pressure is highly correlated with t he direct method at rest, during handgrip and deadlift (0.8, 0.9 and 0 .91 respectively) isometric exercises. Indirect diastolic blood pressu re correlates well with intraarterial at rest (0.7) and during the iso metric handgrip bout which utilized small muscle mass (0.8). As for th e deadlift manoeuvre, the correlation coefficients between the indirec t and direct methods were low. These results suggest that when utilizi ng large muscle mass during isometric deadlift exercise, the indirect method is not valid for assessment of diastolic blood pressure.