Con: Ambulatory blood pressure measurement in patients receiving haemodialysis: A sore arm and a waste of time?

Abstract

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has become popular in the investigation and management of patients with essential hypertension. In patients receiving haemodialysis, ABPM identifies patients who may fare worse in the long term. However, the available studies are small, and when conventional risk factors are included, there is no added value to ABPM over conventional BP measurements. In haemodialysis, ABPM remains an experimental investigation, and in the absence of specific, evidence-based targets for blood pressure in this population, it would be better to invest in large-scale trials to provide specific blood pressure targets and strategies, rather than concentrating on an alternative technique for blood pressure measurement.