The circadian nuances of hypertension: a reappraisal of 24-h ambulatory blood pressure measurement in clinical practice.

Ambulatory blood pressure measurement has been in use in clinical practice for nearly half a century. However, despite the benefits the technique brings to managing patients with hypertension it is much under-used in practice. The purpose of this review is to examine critically the information that can be derived from the technique and to highlight the application of this evidence in clinical practice.