Abstract:
Precise blood pressure (BP) management is the cornerstone for effective prevention and treatment of hypertension. BP is essentially a functional indicator that continuously fluctuates with cardiac rhythm, neurohumoral regulation, and changes in both internal and external environments, exhibiting dual attributes of “force” and “wave”. However, the cuff-based BP measurement method widely used in current clinical practice can only obtain discrete instantaneous readings, failing to fully reflect the dynamic fluctuation characteristics and individual differences in BP. This limitation contributes, to some extent, to misdiagnosis, underdiagnosis, and homogenization of treatment strategies for hypertension. In recent years, blood pressure variability (BPV), recognized as an independent cardiovascular risk factor beyond mean BP levels, has gained increasing attention, and its incorporation into cardiovascular risk stratification has become a consensus in the academic community. Concurrently, significant advancements have been made in cuffless continuous BP monitoring technologies, with emerging approaches such as photoplethysmography (PPG), bioimpedance, and wearable ultrasound patches providing new solutions to overcome the inherent limitations of traditional measurements. Notably, wearable ultrasound patch technology, owing to its advantages such as deep tissue penetration, high measurement accuracy, and independence from skin characteristics, holds promise for achieving non-invasive, continuous, and long-term monitoring of deep central arteries. This article systematically reviews the essential nature of BP and the current status of clinical BP measurement, summarizes the development trajectory and latest achievements in cuffless BP monitoring technologies, and discusses the prospects for achieving individualized, lifelong BP management in the future.