[Diagnostic and prognostic aspects of home blood pressure measurement].

Up to now the diagnosis of hypertension has been based on a few casual blood pressure measurements in the physician's office according to WHO guidelines. Blood pressure measurements at home in the recent years have gained increasing popularity as a supplementary diagnostic tool. The establishment of an everyday blood pressure profile and exclusion of "white coat" hypertension are the main diagnostic indications. In borderline hypertension those patients with elevated home blood pressures can be identified. However world-wide epidemiologic studies are urgently needed to develop definitions of normal and pathological values for self-recorded blood pressure readings. From our experience diastolic home-recorded values higher than 90 mm Hg should be regarded as pathological.