The utility of home blood pressure load in predicting average self-measured blood pressure.

Objectives: Average values for self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) more accurately reflect a patient's risk of cardiovascular disease than do office measurements. Oftentimes, however, patients provide lists of individual home blood pressure (BP) measurements, and average values cannot be computed within the time constraints of a clinic visit. In contrast, the home BP load - defined as the proportion of BP values greater than a partition value (e.

Hypertension-mediated organ damage in masked hypertension.

Objectives: Masked hypertension - a blood pressure (BP) phenotype characterized by a clinic BP in the normal range but elevated BP outside the office - is associated with early hypertension-mediated organ damage. This study examined early target organ manifestations of masked hypertension diagnosed by home (HBPM) and ambulatory (ABPM) BP monitoring.

Methods: Left ventricular (LV) structure and diastolic function measured by echocardiography, microalbuminuria, and coronary artery calcification were evaluated in 420 patients with high clinic BP (SBP 120-150 mmHg or DBP 80-95 mmHg).

Physical activity calorie expenditure (PACE) labels in worksite cafeterias: effects on physical activity.

Background: Regular physical activity is an important component of healthy living and wellbeing. Current guidelines recommend that adults participate in at least 150 min of moderate or vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly. In spite of the benefits, just over half of U.

Effect of calories-only vs physical activity calorie expenditure labeling on lunch calories purchased in worksite cafeterias.

Background: Calorie labeling on restaurant menus is a public health strategy to guide consumer ordering behaviors, but effects on calories purchased have been minimal. Displaying labels communicating the physical activity required to burn calories may be a more effective approach, but real-world comparisons are needed.

Methods: In a quasi-experimental study, we examined the effect of physical activity calorie expenditure (PACE) food labels compared to calorie-only labels on point-of-decision food purchasing in three worksite cafeterias in North Carolina.

Association of ambulatory blood pressure variability with coronary artery calcium.

Blood pressure (BP) variability is associated with progression to clinical atherosclerosis. The evidence is inconclusive if BP variability predicts cardiovascular outcomes in low-risk populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of 24-hour BP variability with coronary artery calcium (CAC) among a group of individuals without coronary artery disease.

Effects of physical activity calorie expenditure (PACE) labeling: study design and baseline sample characteristics.

Background: Obesity and physical inactivity are responsible for more than 365,000 deaths per year and contribute substantially to rising healthcare costs in the US, making clear the need for effective public health interventions. Calorie labeling on menus has been implemented to guide consumer ordering behaviors, but effects on calories purchased has been minimal.

Methods: In this project, we tested the effect of physical activity calorie expenditure (PACE) food labels on actual point-of-decision food purchasing behavior as well as physical activity.

The Reproducibility of Racial Differences in Ambulatory Blood Pressure Phenotypes and Measurements.

Background: We examined the reproducibility of differences in ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) phenotypes and other parameters (sustained hypertension, masked hypertension, nocturnal hypertension, and nondipping) between African Americans and Whites.

Methods: A total of 420 participants untreated for hypertension attended 2 research visits 1 week apart during which traditional office BP averages and ABPM session averages were determined. We computed percent agreement in ABPM phenotypes across the 2 visits stratified by race and associated kappa statistics with 95% confidence intervals.

Examination of Several Physiological and Psychosocial Factors Potentially Associated With Masked Hypertension Among Low-Risk Adults.

The authors examined the association of factors, in addition to prehypertensive office blood pressure (BP) level, that might improve detection of masked hypertension (MH), defined as nonelevated office BP with elevated out-of-office BP average, among individuals at otherwise low risk. This sample of 340 untreated adults 30 years and older with average office BP <140/90 mm Hg all had two sets of paired office BP measurements and 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) sessions 1 week apart. Other than BP levels, the only factors that were associated (at P<.

Comparison of patients' confidence in office, ambulatory, and home blood pressure measurements as methods of assessing for hypertension.

Objective: Uncertainty exists when relying on office (clinic) blood pressure (BP) measurements to diagnose hypertension. Home BP monitoring and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) provide measurements that are more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. The degree to which patients exhibit uncertainty about office BP measurements is unknown, as is whether they would have less uncertainty about other BP measurement methods.

Levels of office blood pressure and their operating characteristics for detecting masked hypertension based on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Background: Masked hypertension (MH)--nonelevated office blood pressure (BP) with elevated out-of-office BP average--conveys cardiovascular risk similar to or approaching sustained hypertension, making its detection of potential clinical importance. However, it may not be feasible or cost-effective to perform ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) on all patients with a nonelevated office BP. There likely exists a level of office BP below which ABPM is not warranted because the probability of MH is low.

Reproducibility of masked hypertension among adults 30 years or older.

Objective: Masked hypertension (MH) refers to nonelevated office blood pressure (BP) with elevated out-of-office BP, but its reproducibility has not been conclusively established. We examined 1-week reproducibility of MH by home BP monitoring (HBPM) and ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).

Methods: We recruited 420 adults not on BP-lowering medication, with recent clinic BP between 120/80 and 149/95 mmHg.