Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a mean to stratify cardiovascular risk

Abstract

Objective: Current hypertension guidelines stress the importance to assess total cardiovascular risk but do not describe precisely how to use ambulatory blood pressures in the cardiovascular risk stratification.

Method: We calculated here global cardiovascular risk according to 2003 European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology guidelines in 127 patients in whom daytime ambulatory blood pressures were recorded and carotid/femoral ultrasonography performed.

Results: The presence of ambulatory blood pressures >or =135/85 mmHg shifted cardiovascular risk to higher categories, as did the presence of hypercholesterolemia and, even more so, the presence of atherosclerotic plaques.

Conclusion: Further studies are, however, needed to define the position of ambulatory blood pressures in the assessment of cardiovascular risk.