[Ambulatory indirect long-term blood pressure measurement in primary and secondary hypertension].

Ambulatory 24 hour blood pressure measurements were performed in 21 patients with various forms of secondary hypertension and were compared with the blood pressure profile of a matched group of patients with primary hypertension. Patients with renovascular (n = 8) and renoparechymal hypertension (n = 8), and with primary hyperaldosteronism (n = 4) showed no significant fall in systolic blood pressure during the sleeping period (00-03 a.m.) and in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the early morning (06 a.m.) as compared with essential hypertensives. However, in a single case of hypertension due to coarctation of the aorta the 24 hour blood pressure profile is not different from essential hypertension. Thus, ambulatory 24 hour blood pressure recording is a good method for screening secondary forms of hypertension.