Prognostic significance of self-measurements of blood pressure.
BACKGROUND
Self-measurements of blood pressure may offer some advantage in diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation and in management of patients. However, the most important limitation of self-measurement is that there are limited data available about the prognostic value of this information.


RESULTS
Authors of several previous reports demonstrated that self-measurement reflects target-organ damage better than does casual measurement of blood pressure. So far, investigators in Tecumseh and Ohasama studies have provided pilot data on prognostic value of self-measurements. Investigators in Ohasama study demonstrated that self-measurements predict cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and all-cause mortality better than do casual measurements of blood pressure. Investigators in Tecumseh study demonstrated that self-measurement can predict future development of sustained hypertension and of diastolic dysfunction. These preliminary results suggest that self-measurements have strong predictive power for endpoints and surrogate measures of cardiovascular target-organ damage.


CONCLUSIONS
The final answer on the prognostic significance of self-measurement has not been given. Prognostic studies designed to compare casual measurement of blood pressure, self-measurement, and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are needed.
Imai
Y
Y
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Tohoku University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Science and Medicine, Sendai, Japan.
Poncelet
P
P
DeBuyzere
M
M
Padfield
P L
PL
Van Montfrans
G A
GA
D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012648:Self Care / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*