An update on blood pressure short-term variability.

This article summarizes current achievements of computer-based methodologies in identifying the constituting components of short-term blood pressure variability and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. It emphasizes the contribution of spectral methodologies in early diagnosis of blood pressure deregulations. Moreover, the effects of antihypertensive drugs, as well as of new, nonpeptide vasopressin antagonists on short-term blood pressure variability, are briefly described.