Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
There are many tests to help determine your overall cardiac health and potential heart problems including ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, or ABPM. This test is especially helpful in determining if someone has "white coat" hypertension, where their blood pressure is elevated due to the stress of being in a healthcare environment.
What is Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring?
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring allows cardiologist Dr. Nadar and his cardiovascular disease team to evaluate your blood pressure changes during your normal daily activities. With ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, you will wear a small device that collects blood pressure data during your normal routine, rather than while sitting nervously during a physical exam in the office.
The small device is a blood pressure cuff that is worn on your arm and attached to a small recording device you can wear on your belt or hip. Typically, the device is worn for 24 hours, but can be worn for up to two full days. The device records your blood pressure every 15-30 minutes, even while you are sleeping.
Benefits of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring
The biggest benefit to AMBP is gaining accurate information and a complete record of your blood pressure for one or two full days. This information is fundamentally different from the blood pressure reading we take in the office during a visit. When we record your blood pressure during an exam, it's recording just one single data point that may be impacted by nervousness or other factors.
With APBM, we can record your blood pressure measurement during everyday activities - walking, running to catch a bus, hurrying through errands, and going about chores at home. Using this data, as well as your medical history, Dr. Nadar can diagnose masked hypertension, sustained hypertension, and other heart health risk factors. Our team may also order tests based on the data collected.
Does Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Carry Any Risks?
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a safe way to help our physicians get a complete view of your overall health. While there are not any major risks involved with the test, you may experience mild discomfort from wearing the device. Pressure due to the inflated cuff can cause soreness on your upper arm and readings overnight may interfere with your sleep. You may also experience mild skin irritation.