High blood pressure numbers at the population level? Hundreds of millions of Americans may have high blood pressure without knowing it, a new study suggests.
Approximately one in eight people aged 40 to 75 with hypertension will be missed by a daytime GP appointment, according to a study by Oxford University. Why so “extensive” blood pressure numbers?
As the body winds down and prepares to sleep, healthy people typically see their blood pressure drop at night. However, 15% of people experience the opposite, according to the study.
Approximately 21,000 patients from 28 GP practices and four hospitals in Oxford participated in the study, published in the British Journal of General Practice.
NHS, the British National Health Service, recommends that GPs diagnose patients based solely on daytime blood pressure levels. However, Oxford researchers recommend wearing a cuff over a 24-hour period for ambulatory monitoring.
