Preliminary study to measure the physiological mechanism of the BPRelief band at lowering high blood pressure in humans.
Hypertension is a cardiovascular condition that leads to 8.5 million deaths per year around the world and is linked to a higher risk of stroke and kidney failure. Hypertension is defined by a higher-than-normal force the blood pushes on blood vessel walls in between each heart pump. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years to control for high blood pressure. WAT Medical Enterprise Inc. is a Canadian company that developed a wrist band (BPRelief) that stimulates acupuncture points to decrease high blood pressure. For this project, a cold pressor test triggers a temporary increase in blood pressure to see if the BPRelief band can decrease it. If the BPRelief band can decrease the increase in blood pressure during the cold pressor test, this study would serve as a proof of concept for the BPRelief and lead to projects in participants who live with high blood pressure.