Key result
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring identified masked and nocturnal hypertension with better risk stratification than office measurements across 7 Saudi studies.
Why the study?
Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor in Saudi Arabia, and a synthesis of recent Saudi studies evaluating the correlation between ABPM, blood pressure patterns, and cardiovascular risk in adults was needed.
Does ambulatory blood pressure monitoring improve the identification of high-risk blood pressure phenotypes and prediction of cardiovascular outcomes compared to office measurements in Saudi adults?
Systematic Review (n=75,000)
Does ambulatory blood pressure monitoring improve the identification of high-risk blood pressure phenotypes and prediction of cardiovascular outcomes compared to office measurements in Saudi adults?
In Saudi adults, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is more effective than office measurements alone for detecting masked and nocturnal hypertension and stratifying cardiovascular risk.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
ABPM supports better phenotyping of masked hypertension in Saudi adults; leaves open need for outcome trials before changing practice.
Hypertension is a significant health issue in Saudi Arabia, and it is one of the largest risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) among adults. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has come in as an effective instrument for identifying masked, nocturnal, and uncontrolled hypertension that is often missed by other office-acquired measurements and can be useful in predicting cardiovascular events. This systematic review aimed to review recent Saudi studies that investigated the correlation between ABPM, blood pressure patterns, and cardiovascular risk in terms of prevalence, control rates, comorbidities, and predictive value of ABPM in adults. Databases were searched to identify relevant studies published between 2018 and 2025. The studies comprised adult Saudi populations reported to have blood pressure measurements, cardiovascular risk factors, or ABPM phenotypes. Prevalence, risk factors, cardiovascular morbidity, and predictive patterns of ABPM were extracted. Seven studies and participants of more than 75,000 individuals were reviewed. The prevalence of hypertension was 4.9-62.4, and its control was poor. ABPM showed a prevalence rate of masked and nocturnal hypertension. The major predictors of high blood pressure and cardiovascular risks were age, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and male sex. Office measurements alone did not yield as much risk stratification as did ABPM-based assessment. Current practice in Saudi evidence indicated that ABPM is a more effective tool in the identification of the high-risk blood pressure phenotype as well as predicting the development of cardiovascular outcomes. Proper management of hypertension and metabolic comorbidities play a very important role in alleviating the burden of CVDs.
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Shatla et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Hypertension and cardiovascular risk (n=75,000). Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) vs. Office-acquired blood pressure measurements was evaluated on Hypertension prevalence, blood pressure phenotypes (masked and nocturnal hypertension), and cardiovascular risk stratification. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring identified masked and nocturnal hypertension with better risk stratification than office measurements across 7 Saudi studies.
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