The authors investigated the effects of single and multiple blood pressure (BP) measurements during the same encounter on screen-detected diabetes risk. Data for 9018 Cameroonian adults from a community-based survey were used. Resting BP was measured three times 5 minutes apart. Logistic regressions were used to compute the odd ratio (OR) per standard deviation (SD) higher BP variables. Systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure (MAP), but not pulse pressure, were related to prevalent diabetes. The highest OR (95% confidence interval [CI]) per SD higher pressure were recorded for MAP (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.05-1.28) and systolic BP (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04-1.27). Estimates of the association were highest for the first, then third, and lastly the second BP measurements. Estimates from average BP measurements were not better than those from single measurement. Single BP measurement is more effective for diabetes risk screening than multiple measurements. Community-based diabetes strategies utilizing a single measurement are simple without compromising the yield.
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