RESULTS AND VALIDATION OF AMBULATORY BLOO D-PRESSURE MONITORING

Using validated equipment for ABPM (by the indirect, intermittent, osc illometric and/or auscultatory method) reproducible results for day- a nd night-time blood-pressure, early morning readings, and blood-pressu re variability may be obtained. The frequency of recordings should be about 15-min while awake and about 30-min during sleep-time, with at l east 50 validated readings in 24-h to get an informative recording. St andardization could be achieved for the normotensive mean day-time val ue (upper limit 135/85 mm Hg) and mean nighttime recording (at least m inus 10 % compared to the day-time mean value). Using ABPM the diagnos is of arterial hypertension may be optimized, e.g. patients with white -coat hypertension could be discovered as well as those with diminishe d day-night rhythm (''non-dippers''); with the latter condition cerebr al or myocardial damage might occur as consequence of primary hyperten sion; even more so, secondary hypertension may be discovered in patien ts with ''non-dipper'' constellation. In respect to therapy, a ''profi le-adjusted'' medication may be obtained by ABPM; side-effects, which could be produced by ''overtreatment'', may be discovered. Since day- as well as night-time values, possibly even early morning pressures an d the blood-pressure variability are positively correlated to cerebral and cardiovascular complications, ABPM becomes an important prognosti c tool.