Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to assess antihypertensive therapy in private practice.

Non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has proved to be very useful in evaluating hypertensive patients. However, most previous studies were performed in specialised centres. Here the results of two trials are presented in which private physicians used ambulatory BP monitoring to assess the efficacy of antihypertensive drugs. The results were very similar to those observed previously in specialised clinics. In the individual patient, the level of ambulatory recorded pressure could not be predicted based on BP readings taken at the doctor's office. Also, the BP response to antihypertensive therapy was more reproducible when evaluated by ambulatory BP monitoring than by the doctor. Thus, the use of noninvasive ambulatory BP monitoring is also very appropriate in everyday practice for the management of hypertensive patients.