Holter blood pressure
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| Holter blood pressure |
Blood pressure changes throughout the day depending on the activity and the state of stress that a person is going through. If it is elevated, can cause hypertrophy of the heart and significantly shortened lifetime. Holter of pressure is fast and efficient, very precise method that captures the daily variations in blood pressure.
Of the 100 people with high blood pressure 30 people do not know that suffer from hypertension, and in 50 people blood pressure is not well regulated. A consequence of untreated high blood pressure is a greater chance of getting heart and brain infarction. Regular control of blood pressure with a good pressure gauge, since childhood, reduces the number of people with undetected hypertension. The market offers a wide variety of types and models of blood pressure meters, and lots of people do not know which is the most reliable. Devices with mercury belongs to the past and you should be using a tested, fully automatic machines with a cuff on the upper arm, which is tested according to the protocol. Using a tested, fully automatic device, reduces the margin of error in the measurement compared to devices with mercury.
Holter blood pressure is the process in which blood pressure is measured at regular intervals over 24 hours.
Holter blood pressure is an excellent method for:
- Assessment day and night cycle changes in pressure
- Detection of sudden hypotension period
- To control effects of antihypertensive therapy
- Correct type and time of day when you have to take antihypertensive medications
- Avoiding the phenomenon of "white coat" (increase in blood pressure caused by a fear of doctors, not disease).
The most important indications (reasons) for usage of holter blood pressure:
- Dizziness
- To assess effects of antihypertensive therapy
- Unregulated hypertension
- Suspected high blood pressure in pregnancy
- Other situations that require a more detailed analysis of the blood pressure
The device is consists of cuff (cuff that is placed on the upper arm) and the mechanism that registers blood pressure. Placed device does not interfere with everyday activities. The measurements are usually carried out during the day every half hour, and at night every hour. The distance between the measurements is determined by the computer, before the instrument is placed. The patient receives detailed instructions on how to behave while wearing device and how to keep a diary of activities and symptoms.
After removing the device, the data is transferred to a computer and special software (program) after that data is analyzed. A cardiologist is reading the findings and providing conclusions.
This method is global and the European Society of Hypertension advise this method as the best method for diagnosis of hypertension, checking the effects of therapy and providing a more accurate diagnosis of the cause of fluctuations in blood pressure over 24 hours.