24-hour arm-cuff versus wrist home blood pressure monitoring to detect organ damage
Official title: Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Compared to Wrist Home Blood Pressure Monitoring in Assessing End-organ Damage (AW-COMPARE)
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11295873 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This compares a 24-hour arm-cuff monitor to a newer wrist home monitor to spot high daytime and nighttime blood pressure in adults with high blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2026 |
| Project end | February 28, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $745,732 |
| NIH project number | 1R01HL178770-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295873 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 and older with high blood pressure or who are managing blood pressure with medications and who can attend visits at the study site are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People under 21, those with conditions that make wrist measurements unreliable (for example severe vascular disease or major arm/wrist abnormalities), or those unable to wear monitoring devices may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would be an adult (21+) with high blood pressure who wears the standard 24-hour ambulatory arm cuff and also uses a newer wrist-worn home blood pressure device that measures both awake and sleep BP. The study compares readings from both devices, how often they detect high sleep BP, and whether those readings link to signs of organ damage such as albuminuria. Participants will report comfort and sleep disruption, while researchers collect BP data and kidney/heart risk markers. The aim is to see if the wrist device is more comfortable and accurate enough to be a practical alternative to the 24-hour arm cuff.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, wrist-worn home monitors could make it easier and more comfortable to detect high nighttime blood pressure and help prevent heart and kidney damage by improving out-of-office monitoring.
How similar studies have gone: Early/preliminary studies suggest wrist devices disturb sleep less and can measure sleep BP, but they are relatively new and not yet proven to fully replace 24-hour ambulatory monitors.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ghazi, Lama — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Ghazi, Lama
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Non-invasive, continuous blood pressure monitoring for prenatal maternal health
A wearable device from PyrAmes uses comfortable, non-invasive sensors and smart software to constantly monitor a pregnant person’s blood pressure and heart health so doctors can protect both mom and baby.
-
Smartphone app helps pregnant women in Ghana monitor blood pressure at home
A smartphone app is being customized for pregnant women in Ghana to support home blood pressure monitoring and improve safety during pregnancy.
-
Remote blood pressure monitoring with pharmacist-led telehealth for people living with HIV
A plan to remotely track blood pressure and support HIV patients with pharmacist-led telehealth and reminders to bring BP under control.
-
Non-Invasive AI-Enhanced Neonatal Blood Pressure Monitoring in NICUs
A new AI-powered system uses the baby’s existing sensors to continuously track blood pressure in the NICU without invasive procedures, helping clinicians spot problems early.
-
Remote blood pressure monitoring with pharmacist-led telehealth after ED discharge
A new program helps adults with high blood pressure receive BP monitoring and medication support after leaving the emergency department, with pharmacists guiding telehealth visits and automated reminders.
-
Cuffless wireless ultrasound tattoo to monitor blood pressure
A wearable, skin-like ultrasound device will wirelessly measure and track blood pressure continuously in kids and patients, using a tiny chip and smart data signals.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.