[PHARMFIT--a program for the evaluation of digitally collected cardiovascular parameters]

The PHARMFIT program allows the non-linear fit of simple and combined cosine functions to data from long-term monitoring of cardiovascular parameters and the statistical evaluation of the quality of fit. With the SYNOPS utility a statistical comparison of different fit models can be achieved. As an example, the systolic blood-pressure data obtained in a hypertensive subject by ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring (ABPM) over a period of 36 h is used. The program demonstrates that the fit of a combined cosine function including a 24-h and a 12-h period describes the data better than a simple 24-h cosine function. The quality of fit is significantly improved by inclusion of the first harmonics. The PHARMFIT program can help to get a better analysis of ABPM data.