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(Hypertension. 2009;54:e128.)
© 2009 American Heart Association, Inc.

Letters to the Editor

Home Blood Pressure Measurements Will or Will Not Replace 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement

Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

To the Editor:

I am pleased that the protagonists in this controversy largely negate the question posed in the title by agreeing that the techniques are complementary rather than one being an alternative for the other, with Verdecchia et al acknowledging that, "Home BP [blood pressure] and 24-hour ABP [ambulatory BP] should be possibly considered as complimentary techniques, to be used with the precise aim of exploiting the best that each technique can provide,"¹ and Parati et al stating that, "The current position is that HBPM [home BP monitoring] and ABPM [ABP monitoring] should coexist and be used as complimentary tools, providing different information on a subject’s BP status."²

I would like to draw attention to 2 aspects of the debate, which were not considered. First, HBPM is a demanding procedure for patients. To obtain a measurement approximating to mean daytime ABPM for clinical decision making, the subject must make 2 measurements in the morning and evening on 7 consecutive days, discard the first day of measurement, and average the measurements of the last 6 days.³ At the end of this demanding routine, the subject has no indication of nighttime BP, which is now recognized as being the most sensitive predictor of outcome.⁴ Is this routine for obtaining 1 facet of the 24-hour profile preferable to 1 day of ABPM with the given advantages conferred by that technique? Unfortunately, the misconception prevails that an occasional HBPM will give equivalency to ABPM, which is clearly not the case, and such measurements . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Parati and G. Bilo Response to Home Blood Pressure Measurements Will or Will Not Replace 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement Hypertension, November 1, 2009; 54(5): e129 - e129. [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Verdecchia, F. Angeli, G. Mazzotta, G. Gentile, and G. Reboldi Response to Home Blood Pressure Measurements Will or Will Not Replace 24-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Measurement Hypertension, November 1, 2009; 54(5): e130 - e130. [Full Text] [PDF]