Relevant points for the evaluation of cardiovascular risk with the use of ABPM

Rosa, Eduardo Maffini da; el Andari, Carolina Fedrizzi; Menegotto, Mariana

doi:10.1590/S0066-782X2010001600015

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS - Brazil

Mailing address

Keywords: Hypertension; heart rate; blood pressure; blood pressure monitoring, ambulatory.

The hypertension study group in our department agrees that ABPM does have greater prognostic capacity for cardiovascular outcomes in the high blood pressure disease than measurements of blood pressure made at clinics^1-3. However, we have hypothesized that this difference results from a smaller phenomenon that is similar to the white-coat effect. That is why it is important to measure the heart rate during the measurement of blood pressure in clinics. It would be very interesting to compare the BP measured with ABPM at a certain heart rate and the BP measured in a clinic, at the same heart rate. Then, we might be able to correct distortions of the measures, thereby avoiding increases in costs of evaluation and treatment of the high blood pressure disease.

Answer

Thank you for your comments. We will evaluate the possibility of investigating this issue in future.

Thank you for your attention,

Monica Maria Ferreira Magnanini

References

1. Magnanini MMF, Nogueira AR, Carvalho MS, Bloch KV. Monitorização ambulatorial da pressão arterial e risco cardiovascular em mulheres com hipertensão resistente. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2009; 92 (6): 484-9.
2. Verdecchia P. Prognostic value of ambulatory blood pressure: current evidence and clinical implications. Hypertension. 2000; 35 (3): 844-51.
3. Mancia G, Parati G. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and organ damage. Hypertension. 2000; 36 (5): 894-900.