Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)

Blood pressure Holter monitoring, also known as ABPM (Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring), is a test that measures blood pressure automatically and repeatedly over a 24-hour period. A cuff is placed on the patient's arm and connected to a small device that takes measurements at regular intervals, usually every 15 to 30 minutes during the day and every 30 to 60 minutes at night. This test is essential for obtaining a complete and reliable blood pressure profile, because blood pressure varies considerably throughout the day under the influence of physical activity, stress, sleep and many other factors. Unlike a one-off measurement at the doctor's office, ABPM provides dozens of measurements under the patient's real-life conditions. Blood pressure Holter monitoring is particularly useful for diagnosing "white coat" hypertension (blood pressure elevated only at the doctor's office) and masked hypertension (normal at the office but elevated elsewhere). It also assesses the nighttime blood pressure profile, an important parameter because the absence of a nocturnal dip in blood pressure ("non-dipper" profile) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. At the Clinique Pasteur in Tunis, ABPM is performed with clinically validated devices that guarantee the reliability of the measurements. Computerized analysis provides daytime, nighttime and 24-hour averages, as well as detailed graphs interpreted by the cardiologist.