Measurement of Toe Blood Pressure

Participants rested in a supine position for at least 10 min prior to measurements, and their toes were heated to a temperature above 27 °C using heating overlays prior to testing. Systolic blood pressures were measured in the brachial arteries, and the highest systolic blood pressure measured identified the reference arm (Omron M6^® AC, Omron Healthcare Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan). The brachial pressure was thereafter measured in the reference arm simultaneously with the measurements of the toe blood pressure. Toe blood pressures were measured with an automated photoplethysmography device (SysToe^®, Atys Medical, Soucieu-en-Jarrest, France) [14 (link)]. Toe pressures were measured consecutively and for each hallux. The measurements of toe pressures were performed until obtaining a difference of 10 mmHg or less between the measured values with a maximum of five measurements of toe pressure for each hallux.