Ambulatory Blood Pressure May Best Predict Health Events

Readings taken over an extended period of time can help give physicians a better picture of your health.

Published: January 9, 2012

There are several factors that can affect your blood pressure reading. Rushing to get to an appointment on time or white coat syndrome (a spike in blood pressure, probably caused by anxiety, that some patients experience when they are in a doctors office) can all provide doctors with false readings. In an effort to combat this, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), which involves wearing a blood pressure monitor for several hours, can help give your doctor a more accurate reading.