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Abstract
Nighttime ambulatory (BP) and dipping% (nighttime/daytime BP of <0.9; non-dipping ≥0.9) are independent predictors of adverse cardiovascular events. Standard guidelines recommend at least ≥20/7 daytime/nighttime measurements for reliable ambulatory BP monitoring, but newer reports suggest ≥8/4 daytime/nighttime measurements are sufficient. Considering BP oscillates across the night, the temporal distribution of measurements across the night may impact nighttime BP and dipping%. To test whether this new recommendation holds for extreme examples of temporal distribution, we compared average nighttime BP and dipping% when using BP measurements only in the first (1st-half) vs. only in the second half (2nd-half) of the night.