Hypertension Prevalence and Control: Impact of Method of Blood Pressure Measurement

Hypertension is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and remains the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In order to detect, diagnose, treat and follow-up hypertensive individuals, blood pressure (BP) has to be measured accurately. On a larger scale, blood pressure measurements on the whole population can generate trends that can be followed through time and be used as an indicator of a population health. Ideally, when blood pressure is measured, variability should only be attributable to the individual in whom the assessment is being performed. Nonetheless, many other factors can impact on the values obtained, namely the environment and the observer. Guidelines for BP measurement have existed for many years and are quite similar around the world, although some disparities, especially concerning devices to be used, can be noted. In research protocols, blood pressure measurement methods and thresholds used are not always properly reported, which can impact on results derived from these studies. As for prevalence estimation reported from population surveys, although changes might be needed regarding devices to replace the mercury sphygmomanometer, consideration should be given to the development of guidelines and protocols not unlike the ones used for device validation.