[Blood pressure measurement as performed in outpatient clinics is inexpedient]

Abstract

Traditional office blood pressure (OBP) measurement as performed in busy outpatient clinics agrees poorly with awake ambulatory BP, and generally BP is severely overestimated. Especially elderly patients may be overtreated with the risk of symptomatic hypotension and fall injuries. Furthermore, truly high OBP measurements are often ignored as white coat hypertension, which leads to undertreatment of hypertension in high-risk individuals. Traditional OBP is thus of limited use and may even be harmful. Better methods are available and should be implemented.