Published in:
01-11-2016 | Hypertension (AJ Peixoto and DS Geller, Section Editors)
Integrating Out-of-Office Blood Pressure in the Diagnosis and Management of Hypertension
Authors:
Jordana B. Cohen, Debbie L. Cohen
Published in:
Current Cardiology Reports
|
Issue 11/2016
Login to get access
Abstract
Guidelines for the diagnosis and monitoring of hypertension were historically based on in-office blood pressure measurements. However, the US Preventive Services Task Force recently expanded their recommendations on screening for hypertension to include out-of-office blood pressure measurements to confirm the diagnosis of hypertension. Out-of-office blood pressure monitoring modalities, including ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and home blood pressure monitoring, are important tools in distinguishing between normotension, masked hypertension, white-coat hypertension, and sustained (including uncontrolled or drug-resistant) hypertension. Compared to in-office readings, out-of-office blood pressures are a greater predictor of renal and cardiac morbidity and mortality. There are multiple barriers to the implementation of out-of-office blood pressure monitoring which need to be overcome in order to promote more widespread use of these modalities.