Blood Pressure in your Medical Practice

Thanks to the increasing concern regarding cardiovascular disease, blood pressure (BP) is one of the more well-known vital signs. Just about everyone has had their BP measured in a clinic. In the last few years, many track their own BP with the widespread availability and affordability of home monitors. Although experts in cardiology regard ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) as the gold standard, it is not as frequently used in regular medical practice as in-office or home BP. Each method has its benefits and disadvantages.

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ASH 2010: A Focus on Improving Blood Pressure Measurement Technique

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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ABPM Reimbursement in the US

As a follow-up to the prevoius post about hypertension neglect in the US, I wanted to provide a bit more information about ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). As we've discussed in previous blog posts, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a commonly-used tool for the identification and treatment of hypertension. Many health care providers are still unaware that ABPM is a reimbursable procedure although Medicare approved reimbursement in 2001. Routine use of ABPM can serve as a source of revenue for physicians while also improving the quality of care for patients.

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Report Indicates US Neglects Hypertension

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

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”

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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The Importance of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring...cont.

Part 2 of 2: What is ABPM? Why should I get a test? ABPM Blood Pressure Guidelines. 

Most hypertension opinion leaders regard ambulatory blood pressure monitoring as the gold standard for risk assessment since it is superior to both clinic and home BP measurement [4],[5]. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is a 24 hour blood pressure test in which readings are taken every 15-30 min during the day and 20-60 min during asleep hours.

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The Importance of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

Part 1 of 2: Defining Blood Pressure, Office and Home Blood Pressure Measurement.  

In order to understand the importance of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, one first needs to understand why blood pressure is important to measure. While hypertension specialists understand the value of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, some family practice physicians don't understand the utility of ABPM over home blood pressure monitoring. Let's start with the basics...

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