The role of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in the evaluation of adolescent hypertension.

We performed 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in a group of adolescents with hypertension induced by dynamic exercise and a group of normotensive controls. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed using a Del-Mar Avionics PIII recorder with readings taken every 7 1/2 minutes. There was little inter-individual variation in mean hourly blood pressure and the difference between mean hourly readings was not significant in hypertensives. Mean 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure was 130.2/80.7 mmHg for hypertensives and 115.2/70.8 in normotensives. Mean 24-hour variability was 18.3/12.9 mmHg in hypertensives and 14.6/11.5 in normotensives. There was no significant change in blood pressure or variability between day-time and evening for hypertensives. Normotensives showed a significant reduction in both BP and variability compared to hypertensives. In adolescents with systolic hypertension, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring confirmed a failure to reduce blood pressure following routine activity. This technique maybe used as a predictive marker of early, adult essential hypertension.