Standardized blood pressure measurement protocols are essential in hemodialysis units to accurately assess hypertension burden and cardiovascular risk.
Current BP readings in HD units may misclassify risk; leaves open precise CV outcome associations until protocols are standardized and validated.
Measurement of blood pressure (BP) poses some unique challenges in hemodialysis patients. Timing of BP measurement in relation to dialysis, changes in interdialytic weight gain, and inconsistent BP measurement technique in dialysis units contribute to the variability of BP readings in this population. This may contribute to the equivocal relationship between hypertension and cardiovascular outcomes documented in several epidemiologic studies in this population. Home BP readings are promising, but need to be validated as a measure of the burden of hypertension in this population. It is important to standardize BP measurement in all hemodialysis units according to published guidelines to improve the management of hypertension. Future research studies should carefully validate the technique used to measure BP.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Lazãr et al. (2004) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: