2.3.4. Blood pressure measurement
Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured using medical automatic electronic blood pressure monitor (Omron, HBP-9020, Japan). Participants were asked to avoid strenuous activity for 1 h before measurement and to rest quietly for 10 min before measurement. The right forearm was placed flat on a table with the palm facing up while the participant was seated, and the pulse pressure band was fastened to the participant’s upper arm with an appropriate amount of tension. The same upper arm was used to record three measurements and the average SBP and DBP readings were recorded as the final blood pressure.