title: [Clinical significance of home blood pressure measurements for diagnosis of hypertension in the elderly].
abstract: Systolic blood pressure elevates with increase in age. The frequency of white-coat hypertension and masked hypertension also increase with increase in age. Elderly persons tend to have abnormal circadian rhythm of blood pressure. Home blood pressure measurements are very useful to determine such pathophysiological conditions. Home blood pressure is useful not only for diagnosis of hypertension but also for treatment and management of hypertension; i.e. choice and titration of antihypertensive drugs. A minimal antihypertensive effect and duration of action of antihypertensive drugs are determined by home blood pressure measurements: the latter is established by the comparison of the antihypertensive effect of the drug in the morning with that in the evening, i.e. morning-evening ratio (ME ratio).
authors.affiliation: The Tohoku University 21st Century COE Program Comprehensive Research and Education Center for Planning of Drug Development and Clinical Evaluation.
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkubo
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kikuya
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D010349:Patient Compliance
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents