Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring

24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) monitors your blood pressure in real-time over an entire day. It allows Dr. Lilan Ahiable, our cardiologist, to monitor your blood pressure as you go about your usual daily activities, such as sleeping, working, and doing things around the house. 

ABPM is preferred over the blood pressure readings taken when you are sitting in the doctor’s office. It allows Dr. Ahiable to get a clearer picture of your blood pressure throughout the day. 

There are distinct benefits to measuring blood pressure readings while outside the doctor’s office. 

Blood pressure measurements in the doctor’s office: 

• Could be off due to the stress of being at the doctor’s office. 
• Don’t give a good picture of your average daytime and nighttime blood pressure. 

On the other hand, 24-hour ABPM allows for regular blood pressure monitoring in set intervals over 24 hours. This provides a complete picture of how your blood pressure changes throughout the day. This complete dataset gives your cardiologist a more comprehensive view of your health.

Here are a few things you can do to prepare for the ABPM test:

• Shower or take a bath before you come in for the test because you will need to wear the blood pressure machine for 24 hours and keep it out of water. 
• Wear pants or shorts with a belt loop to clip on the machine at your waist.
• Wear a shirt that is easy to take on and off to assist with the placement of the blood pressure machine. 
• Take all of your regular medications. 

You come into the office to be fitted with the equipment needed to complete an ABPM test. This entire process should only take about fifteen minutes. 

We fit a blood pressure cuff onto your left or right arm. A small blood pressure machine will be clipped onto a belt at your waist. 

Once the machine is in place, you leave the office and go about your daily routines, returning within 24 hours to remove the machine and cuff. 

During the 24 hours, you wear the blood pressure cuff and machine; the machine will take your blood pressure every 30 minutes during the day and every hour at night.

This information is downloaded off the machine when you come back into the office, and Dr. Ahiable will review the information and provide you with a report on your blood pressure. She will explain what it means and what treatment options need to be considered based on the findings. 

The point of the test is to see what your blood pressure is like as you go about your daily activities. As much as possible, stick to your daily routine and do what you normally do. 

You need to avoid getting the machine wet, so don’t take a bath, shower, or go for a swim. 

It is also important to keep track of what you do throughout the day by writing it down or taking notes on your phone. Be sure also to document what time you went to bed and when you woke up. If you take any medications, note what medications you took and what time you took them. 

These details will provide insight into how your activities impact your blood pressure readings. 

ABPM does more than just give a basic blood pressure reading. It can provide some unique data that gives Dr. Ahiable a complete picture of your overall blood pressure situation. 

• Daytime (awake) average blood pressure
• Night-time (asleep) average blood pressure
• 24-hour average blood pressure
• Nocturnal blood pressure dipping*
• Blood pressure load**

*Nocturnal blood pressure dipping measures how much your blood pressure drops from the daytime to when you are sleeping. Your blood pressure should come down when you sleep. 

**Blood pressure load is the percentage of your ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure exceeding specific limits during the day or night. This can help determine your cardiovascular risk. 

All of this data can help determine if you have hypertension and what type of hypertension you have. The data can also help identify if you are at risk for various cardiovascular conditions. 

The test can be used in various ways to help Dr. Ahiable manage your blood pressure. 

• Establish a baseline blood pressure profile: This test can confirm if you have true hypertension and may need to be put on long-term hypertensive or antihypertensive medications. 

• Manage newly-diagnosed hypertension: If you have recently been diagnosed with hypertension, an ABPM test can provide more insight into how your blood pressure varies throughout the day. This test can help Dr. Ahiable determine the best lifestyle modifications you may need to achieve stable blood pressure readings and what medications may be necessary. 
• Manage resistant or nocturnal hypertension: If your blood pressure is sub-optimal even though you are taking medications and making lifestyle changes, this test can help identify blood pressure spikes throughout the day and night. Knowing when your blood pressure spikes allow Dr. Ahiable to adjust your medication's type, timing, and dosage. 

Get a clearer picture of your blood pressure with a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring test at Sydnor Cardiovascular Clinic. 

Call 727-300-2282 or request an appointment online today, and protect your heart health.