Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Isolated Ambulatory Hypertension in Young Subjects Screened for Stage 1 Hypertension

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Abstract
Little is known about the clinical significance of isolated ambulatory hypertension, a condition characterized by low office but elevated ambulatory blood pressure. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and the predictive value of isolated ambulatory hypertension diagnosed after 3 months of observation for the development of sustained hypertension within a cohort of 871 never-treated stage-1 hypertensive subjects. The study end point was progression to more severe hypertension and need of antihypertensive medication. In 244 subjects (28%), clinic blood pressure declined to P P =0.02) increase in the risk of reaching the end point in comparison with the nonhypertensive subjects. Final ambulatory systolic blood pressure was also higher in the former than the latter ( P =0.03). Our results indicate that among subjects screened for stage 1 hypertension, individuals with isolated ambulatory hypertension after 3 months of observation have increased risk of developing sustained hypertension in later life compared with subjects in whom both clinic and ambulatory blood pressures are normal.