Ambulatory blood pressure measurements: practical considerations, methodology, feasibility, and implications in the management of hypertension

Abstract

Automated ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a safe new technique that allows a more exact assessment of the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension than has been possible previously. It should be of great value in helping avoid unnecessary pharmacologic treatment of certain patients and in tailoring therapy to individual needs. Further research is needed to determine the role of ambulatory monitoring in the detection of hypertension, in the assessment of cardiovascular symptoms, and in the definition and treatment of labile hypertension. Because this technique has been developed subsequent to the research that underlies our current understanding of the effect of hypertension and the treatment of hypertension on cardiovascular disease, further prospective studies are needed to confirm its value in predicting hypertensive complications. A growing body of evidence indicates that ambulatory blood pressure may be a much more powerful predictor of cardiovascular risk than conventional blood pressure measurements.