April 13, 2010Open Access
View Full PaperHome Blood Pressure as a Cardiovascular Outcome Predictor
Key Result
This editorial discusses the utility of home blood pressure monitoring for detecting white-coat and masked hypertension, introducing the Finn-Home outcome study in the Finnish general population.
Structured PICO
Does home blood pressure monitoring predict cardiovascular outcomes in the general population?
P
Population
General population in Finland (referring to the Finn-Home study)
E
Exposure
Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM)
O
Outcome
Cardiovascular outcome prediction
This editorial highlights the growing evidence and guideline support for home blood pressure monitoring as an accessible and effective tool for detecting white-coat and masked hypertension and predicting cardiovascular outcomes.
Abstract
T he common phenomena of white-coat and masked hypertension have established the need for assessing blood pressure (BP) out of the office, particularly using 24-hour ambulatory monitoring (ABPM). In the last 2 decades, evidence on the usefulness of the alternative method for out-of-office BP assessment, namely home BP monitoring (HBPM), has accumulated, and guidelines on using this method have recently been published in the United States and Europe. As with ABPM, HBPM allows the detection of white-coat and masked hypertension and has additional advantages, such as wide availability, low cost, and excellent acceptability by hypertensive patients for repeated use. n this issue of Hypertension, Niiranen et al present the results of Finn-Home, an outcome study of HBPM in the general population in Finland.