Central blood pressure measurements—an opportunity for efficacy and safety in drug development?

Over a century of experience with brachial blood pressure has produced a substantial amount of information on the role of blood pressure as a factor in heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Successful interventions lowering blood pressure and reducing damage to vital organs testify further to the importance of this vital sign. In recent years attempts to probe deeper into the value of knowledge of blood pressure levels closer to the heart (central blood pressures) suggest that noninvasive measurement of central aortic blood pressure may improve further efforts directed at both understanding drug benefit and uncovering potential drug safety issues. This commentary is a summary of a one-day meeting with the FDA in which the role of central blood pressure measurements as an adjunct to drug efficacy and safety were addressed.