[Importance of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in detection of hypertension-induced end organ damage]

Abstract

Casual blood pressure does not provide an adequate estimation for the hemodynamic load of 24 hours upon the cardiovascular system. Hence, cardiovascular complications are loosely correlated to casual blood pressure measurements in arterial hypertension. In contrast, ambulatory blood pressure measurements have been repeatedly found to be closely related to signs of target organ damage such as left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertensive nephropathy and impaired arterial compliance. Furthermore, monitoring of blood pressure over 24 hours allows assessment of hazardous nocturnal declines in perfusion pressure with the risk of fatal coronary or cerebrovascular events. A blunted nocturnal decline in blood pressure has been suggested to indicate secondary forms of arterial hypertension or severe hypertensive disease. In conclusion, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, nowadays reliably assessed by non-invasive tools, improves the estimation of the hemodynamic load imposed on the cardiovascular system and thereby the risks attributed to arterial hypertension.