Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in clinical practice.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring provides a more reliable estimate of blood pressure and its diurnal variability than casual blood pressure measurement. However, the data supporting the link between cardiovascular risk and blood pressure are based almost entirely on casual, or office-based, blood pressure readings, and this form of measurement continues to be the primary factor in clinical decision making. In recent years, compelling evidence from research centers around the world has shown that ambulatory blood pressure measurements correlate more closely with the target organ complications of hypertension and predictions of future cardiovascular events than either casual office or home blood pressure measurements. Improvements in the technology have resulted in ambulatory blood pressure monitors that are increasingly accurate and unobtrusive. As evidence supporting its use continues to mount, the role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in clinical medicine can be expected to increase significantly.