Blood Pressure and Heart Rate monitoring for 40 Hours in a Sample of Iraqi adult Hypertensive Patients: a Cross Sectional Study

One of the major risk factors involved in ischemic heart diseases (IHD) and cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) is hypertension. The association between hypertension and mortality and morbidity form IHD, CVA and vascular disorders is evidenced by the vast majority of epidemiological studies and has gained worldwide acceptance. Method of labeling a patient as being hypertensive should be precise with avoidance of factors that may give false positive results such as anxiety accompanying single office readings. Aim of the study: to evaluate the trend of changes in mean blood pressure and heart rate during 40 hours of follow up in hypertensive adults. The study was a cross sectional study. Sample of patients was based on random sample selection method, in which random numbers were generated by computer and then applied to the available records of hypertensive patients visiting the medicine consultation clinic in Al-Diwaniyah teaching hospital. We were able to include 110 patients. The ABPM recordings were programmed to perform a BP measurement every 2 hours and data were considered adequate when 20 measurements were recorded during the 48 period of follow up.