Clinical usefulness of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

During the past decade, several prospective studies showed that ambulatory BP (ABP) measurements provide a better prediction of major cardiovascular events when compared with clinic BP measurements. This review summarizes the available evidence supporting the use of ABP monitoring to refine prognostic stratification in hypertension. On the basis of available evidence, an operational flowchart is suggested to interpret results of ABP for better treatment of patients with elevated BP.