Utility of Blood Pressure Monitoring Outside of the Clinic Setting. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment Number 63

摘要

Elevated blood pressure (BP), also termed hypertension, is a common, powerful and independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and kidney disease. Approximately 25 percent of the adult U.S. population, about 50 million persons, has hypertension, defined as current use of anti-hypertensive medication, a systolic BP > 140 mmHg, and/or diastolic BP > 90 mmHg. In view of the epidemic of high BP and it complications, prevention and control of high BP continues to be a major national health priority. Governments, institutions, health care providers, insurers, private industry, and non-profit organizations have committed substantial resources to prevent and treat hypertension. Still, hypertension control rates have been unsatisfactory. Measuring BP to diagnose hypertension and to monitor therapy is problematic. Concomitantly, the enormous scope of the BP problem, the high aggregate costs of hypertension care, and the potential for medication side effects have spawned efforts to target therapy more effectively. This entails identifying lower risk individuals who might be candidates for less aggressive therapy and higher risk individuals who should receive more aggressive therapy. Measurement of BP (SMBP) monitoring might accomplish these objectives.