24-HOUR AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE MONITORING IN HEALTHY ELDERLY PEOPLE - REFERENCE VALUES

One hundred and two healthy elderly volunteers (aged 65-83 years) unde rwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Mean day- and nigh t-time pressures were higher than reported for younger subjects. Remov ing outlying BP measurements from individual 24-hour recordings only m inimally affected mean figures of the group but in some individuals me an day diastolic BP may be up to 5 mmHg lower on editing. Using unedit ed data, mean day and night pressures were 134/81 mmHg and 119/67 mmHg respectively (corresponding 95th centiles 160/96 mmHg and 146/84 mmHg ) and systolic and diastolic BP loads were 36% and 21%. These values m ay be used as temporary reference values for elderly subjects pending the results of longitudinal studies. Studies quoting ABPM data should specify whether data editing has been employed and, if so, the editing thresholds should be stated.