The team, from the Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands, said the procedure would help prevent heart attacks and strokes by giving a far clearer picture of the condition of the heart and blood vessels. Dr Nathalie Binjnens, said scientists had been searching for such a non-invasive method for years. She said: ‘The usual method is to insert a catheter with a pressure sensor. But that’s an invasive procedure, and not suitable for preventive diagnostics. ‘There’s also the traditional method using an inflatable arm cuff. But that doesn’t allow any conclusions to be drawn about – for example – the blood pressure in the carotid artery.’
