Sensitivity, specificity, and predictivity of the most frequent signs and symptoms of high blood pressure in the AEDMI project

First results and methods of assessment used in the application of the AEDMI project structured medical interview in a sample of 824 patients are reported. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictivity of the most frequent signs and symptoms with regard to the diagnosis of high blood pressure have been computed. Positive predictivities between 2% and 40% were found. The diagnostic value of these variables can be applied in the context of the hypothesis of the project which is based on the stepwise procedure used by physicians to establish a clinical diagnosis. The objective probabilities represented by the aforementioned parameters will be used to build a system to help clinical decision making.