Unresolved Issues of the Morning Blood Pressure Surge: The Next Stage of Clinical Applicability for the Morning Surge

摘要

The morning blood pressure surge (MS) has attracted interest as a potentially novel risk factor for cardiac, cerebral, renal, and vascular damage. Although the information derived from MS may be valuable, there are several methodological limitations in applying this information in patient management in the clinical setting. These limitations include different criteria for defining MS, relatively poor reproducibility, and the influence of physical activity on morning blood pressure (BP) level. Moreover, the pathological mechanisms of MS are poorly understood, and it is unknown whether the therapy aimed at improving abnormal MS may have a favorable effect on a patient's prognosis.