ASH 2010: A Focus on Improving Blood Pressure Measurement Technique

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At the recent 25th annual scientific meeting for the American Society of Hypertension, there was a new program track targeted specifically to clinicians in primary care. The aim was to present the latest hypertension strategies and guidelines in a format that would be appropriate for the primary care physician but also for physician's assistants, nurse practitioners as well as seasoned hypertension specialists. While the session covered various current issues related to hypertension, one clear area of attention was a re-focus on blood pressure measurement methods.

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Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

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An interview with Dr. William White from the 25th American Society of Hypertension Scientific Meetings

Over the course of the most recent American Society of Hypertension (ASH) Meetings held in New York City May 1 - 4th, outgoing ASH President Henry Black, MD had an opportunity to interview incoming ASH President William White MD. While their discussion covered many topics related to blood pressure monitoring, the focus was on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and when and how to use it. This interview has been made available for viewing through WebMD's Medscape Cardiology page.

While Medscape requires a login account in order to view the interview, we found the content extremely valuable and worth taking the time to access it. The discussion between Dr. Black and Dr. White offers both the primary care physician and the hypertension specialist insight on specific issues related to ABPM. Of particular interest are the discussions on guiding anti-hypertensive drug therapy, masked hypertension, morning surge and overnight dipping.

Report Indicates US Neglects Hypertension

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The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report last week recommending strategies to address the "neglected disease" of hypertension in the US. Many people do not realize that high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death in the US, and it is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. One in three US adults has hypertension, and less than half of them have it in control, resulting in an estimated cost of $76 billion in 2010.

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ABPM Used to Identify Masked Hypertension in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease

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A recent article published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN)¹ emphasizes the key role of 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) as a means to identify masked hypertension in pediatric patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). The study, published in January 2010, showed that many children with CKD who have normal blood pressure readings at the doctor's office often have high blood pressure readings at home.

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Hypertension in China presents similar challenges seen in the U.S.

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I recently read an article indicating hypertension - or high blood pressure - as the leading preventable cause of premature deaths in China. As I was reading, it made me realize how similar healthcare issues in China and the U.S. truly are...

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Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Used for “The Dr. Oz Show”

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On Tuesday, September 22, The Dr. Oz Show explored how stress is destroying women's bodies and revealed an Ultimate Anti-Stress Checklist. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used to assess how stress affected a busy mom's blood pressure throughout the day. The data produced an overall blood pressure profile which is a key indicator of her overall health. Dr. Oz pointed out a few hypertensive readings during the test, which were directly related to stressful tasks...

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