Nurse-recorded auscultatory blood pressure at a single visit predicts target organ changes as well as ambulatory blood pressure.

AIM

To determine whether high-quality nurse-recorded auscultatory blood pressure (BP) values obtained at a single visit predict cardiovascular target organ changes as closely as ambulatory BP measurements.

METHODS

In a randomly selected population sample (n = 458, 21% receiving antihypertensive treatment; approximately 40% hypertensive), we compared high-quality single visit nurse-recorded auscultatory BP values to same-day 24-h ambulatory BP in their ability to predict multiple target organ changes [left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricle (LV) mean wall thickness (MWT), early-to-late transmitral velocity ratios (E/A), (echocardiography); log of urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratios (log ACR) (24-h urine samples); large artery dysfunction [carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central augmentation index (Alc) (applanation tonometry)].

RESULTS

Nurse-recorded systolic BP (SBP) measurements obtained at a single visit were as closely associated with LVMI (r = 0.44), LV MWT (r = 0.44), E/A (r = -0.55), log ACR (r = 0.20), PWV (r = 0.62) and AIc (r = 0.41) (P < 0.0001 for all relations) as was 24-h SBP (LVMI; r = 0.33, LV MWT; r = 0.37, E/A; r = -0.35, log ACR; r = 0.24, PWV; r = 0.41, and AIc; r = 0.18, P < 0.001 for all relations) and either day or night SBP. On multivariate regression analysis with both nurse-recorded SBP and 24-h SBP in the same model, nurse-recorded SBP was independently associated with LVMI (P = 0.006), LV MWT (P = 0.03), E/A (P < 0.02), PWV (P < 0.0001) and AIc (P = 0.0002), and 24-h SBP was independently and positively associated with log ACR (P < 0.005), and PWV (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

One or more, high-quality single visit nurse-recorded auscultatory BP measurements may be equally as effective as ambulatory BP in predicting target organ damage in a population sample of African ancestry.