Unattended automatic office BP readings lower than attended BP readings: Study

Athens, Greece: Unattended blood pressure (BP) is lower than attended BP in the majority of hypertensive patients, according to a recent study in the journal High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention. Further, it was suggested that it (unattended BP) however was useful only in a small percentage of hypertensive patients (without diabetes), in order to plan decisions for appropriate treatment.  

Unattended automatic office BP measurement has given new evidence regarding treatment goals. Helen Triantafyllidi, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon Hospital, Athens, Greece, and colleagues aimed to explore any differences between unattended and conventional office BP measurements in different groups of patients visiting a European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Excellence Centre.

The researchers performed two unattended (Microlife Watch BP Home) followed by a single attended (mercury sphygmomanometer) BP measurement in 310 patients (mean age 62 ± 15 years, 151 males, 64% hypertensives and 36% normotensive individuals) that visited ESH Centre for a scheduled follow-up.

Office BP < 140 mmHg (systolic) and < 90 mmHg (diastolic) were characterized as controlled or normal in hypertensives and normotensive individuals, respectively. 

"Unattended BP was lower than attended BP in the majority of hypertensive patients. However, it was useful only in a small percentage of non diabetic hypertensive patients in order to take appropriate treatment plan decisions," concluded the authors.

The study, "Are Unattended Blood Pressure Measurements Necessary in All Patients Visiting an Outpatient Cardiology Clinic?" is published in the journal High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-020-00402-0