Clinic blood pressure measurements versus ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to compare clinic [office] blood pressure [BP] measurement and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring [ABPM] in the clinical evaluation of hypertensive subjects. Fifty middle aged and pharmacologically untreated hypertensive subjects were studied [40 men and 10 women]. All subjects were referred with BP greater than 140/90 mmHg. Resting ECG and echocardiography were done to assess left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH]. In order to exclude patients with ischemia, exercise ECG test was done. Ambulatory blood pressure was recorded with an auscultatory device. It was concluded that measured clinic BP is as reliable as ambulatory BP monitoring in the clinical evaluation of untreated hypertensive patients. Asleep ABP and 24-hour ambulatory BP appeared to be good indicators of left ventricular hypertrophy