Diagnostic thresholds for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring based on 10-year cardiovascular risk

• Background - Current diagnostic thresholds for ambulatory blood pressure ( ABP) mainly rely on statistical parameters derived from reference populations. We determined an outcome-driven reference frame for ABP measurement. Methods and Results - We performed 24-hour ABP monitoring in 5682 participants ( mean age 59.0 years; 43.3% women) enrolled in prospective population studies in Copenhagen, Denmark; Noorderkempen, Belgium; Ohasama, Japan; and Uppsala, Sweden. In multivariate analyses, we determined ABP thresholds, which yielded 10-year cardiovascular risks similar to those associated with optimal ( 120/80 mm Hg), normal ( 130/85 mm Hg), and high ( 140/90 mm Hg) blood pressure on office measurement. Over 9.7 years ( median), 814 cardiovascular end points occurred, including 377 strokes and 435 cardiac events. Systolic/diastolic thresholds for optimal ABP were 116.8/74.2 mm Hg for 24 hours, 121.6/78.9 mm Hg for daytime, and 100.9/65.3 mm Hg for nighttime. Corresponding thresholds for normal ABP were 123.9/76.8, 129.9/82.6, and 110.2/68.1 mm Hg, respectively, and those for ambulatory hypertension were 131.0/79.4, 138.2/86.4, and 119.5/70.8 mm Hg. After rounding, approximate thresholds for optimal ABP amounted to 115/75 mm Hg for 24 hours, 120/80 mm Hg for daytime, and 100/65 mm Hg for nighttime. Rounded thresholds for normal ABP were 125/75, 130/85, and 110/70 mm Hg, respectively, and those for ambulatory hypertension were 130/80, 140/85, and 120/70 mm Hg. Conclusions - Population-based outcome-driven thresholds for optimal and normal ABP are lower than those currently proposed by hypertension guidelines.

Keyword

blood pressure monitoring

ambulatory

blood pressure

hypertension

cardiovascular diseases

epidemiology

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)