The aim of this study was to test whether ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is as feasible and reliable as ABPM is in patients with normal sinus rhythm (SR). Studies of ABPM in the elderly remain limited, and the use of this method in patients with AF remains controversial. The Italian SIIA 2008 guidelines consider ABPM 'absolutely contraindicated' for AF patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe goal of this study was to examine the relationship between BP variations and neurological deficit outcome in old-old patients after AIS. Fifty-four patients (66-96 years), admitted consecutively for stroke were assessed, using a non-invasive BP monitoring (NIBPM), measuring mean systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure and their variation between days 1 and 7. Neurological assessment and cognitive function were evaluated using the NIH stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the short portable mental status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBlood pressure (BP) measurement in clinical assessment by means of a mercury sphygmomanometer (MS) has numerous drawbacks. It has been proposed that non-invasive, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (NIABPM) should provide more appropriate BP values for both the diagnosis of hypertension and for its subsequent monitoring during treatment. The aim of the present study was to investigate, in 100 ambulatory and 250 hospitalized elderly subjects, the prevalence of white coat hypertension (WCH) and masked hypertension (MH) in a cohort of older subjects, by using both clinical readings (MS) and NIABPM.
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