Noninvasive automatic blood pressure monitoring does not attenuate nighttime hypotension evidence from 24 h intraarterial blood pressure monitoring

Automatic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring makes use of repeated cuff inflations throughout the day and night. This may interfere with the cardiovascular effects of sleep and thus alter the 24 h blood pressure profile. The possibility that intermittent automatic blood pressure measurements prevent nocturnal hypotension was examined in 17 mild or moderate essential hypertensive patients in whom blood pressure was recorded intraarterially for 48 h by the Oxford technique. During the first or the second 24 h period, blood pressure was also monitored noninvasively by the SpaceLabs (Redmond, WA) 5300 (n = 10) and by the Sandoz Pressure System SPS 1558 (Lavanchy Electronique, Prilly, Switzerland) (n = 7) devices, automatic measurements being performed at 15 min intervals during the day and at 30 min intervals during the night. Separate computer analysis of 24 h intraarterial tracings obtained in absence and in concomitance of contralateral automatic blood pressure monitoring showed that the occurrence of automatic measurements had not interfered with the day-night intraarterial blood pressure and heart rate profiles. Thus the frequent cuff inflations that characterize automatic blood pressure monitoring do not attenuate nighttime hypotension and bradycardia. This finding supports use of the noninvasive approach in assessing blood pressure profiles. Am Hypertens.