New technological and clinical trends in blood pressure theranostics: is it time to consider a spatio-temporal approach?

Blood pressure (BP) is traditionally assessed, for centuries, at the brachial artery by cuff-based sphygmomanometric techniques. Technological and methodological innovations as well as emerging new findings from clinical studies and trials now provoke a re-consideration of traditional strategies for BP management. The existing knowledge regarding the occurring changes of BP over time (temporal variability) and the evident differences of BP levels between central and peripheral arteries (spatial variability) now pilots the progress in current therapeutic and diagnostic ("theranostic") concepts and practices in hypertension. This special issue of Current Pharmaceutical Design covers current and intriguing topics regarding the technological, physiological, diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic aspects of "spatio-temporal" assessment of BP variations. Moreover an in-depth analysis of other topics such as antihypertensive drugs metabolism and polypharmacy at the elderly are included.