Individual factors associated with arterial and limb occlusion pressure in blood flow restriction: a scoping review of predictors and measurement methods.

Objectives: This scoping review examined which individual characteristics are associated with arterial or limb occlusion pressure (AOP/LOP) and summarized the methodological and analytical approaches used to study these relationships in blood flow restriction (BFR) research. Design: Scoping review. Methods: The review followed PRISMA-ScR guidance. Searches were conducted on July 30, 2025, in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, together with grey-literature searches, citation tracking, and expert consultation. Primary human studies were eligible when they quantitatively examined at least one individual characteristic as a predictor, correlate, stratification factor, or effect modifier of AOP/LOP, the pressure required to achieve occlusion, or an individualized response to BFR. Studies were excluded when participant characteristics were reported descriptively only or when BFR efficacy or safety was assessed without examining its relationship with an eligible individual factor. Results: The searches identified 10,243 database records and 15 additional records through complementary search methods. After duplicate removal and screening, 17 studies met the eligibility criteria. Fifteen examined individual characteristics in relation to occlusion-pressure outcomes, whereas two examined baseline participant characteristics in relation to subsequent morphological or functional responses to BFR. Limb circumference and resting blood pressure were the most commonly examined factors and showed the most consistent associations with AOP/LOP. Evidence for sex and limb composition was more variable. Cuff width, body position, inflation procedures, and measurement devices also affected the conditions under which AOP/LOP was determined, although these were considered methodological factors rather than individual characteristics. Conclusions: Limb size and blood pressure appear to be the individual characteristics most consistently related to AOP/LOP, but substantial methodological heterogeneity makes comparisons across studies difficult. There is still little evidence showing whether individual characteristics influence physiological, functional, efficacy, or safety outcomes once BFR is applied. Future studies should combine individualized determination of AOP with prespecified interaction, stratified, or predictive analyses to establish whether specific participant characteristics meaningfully influence subsequent responses to BFR.