Analysis of ambulatory blood pressure data

Many statistical techniques can be used to describe different aspects of ambulatory records, but it is highly unlikely that any single parameter will suffice. A more realistic aim is for a combination of measures that combine statistical validity with physiological meaning and clinical usefulness. This will require compromises between conflicting demands, and only experience and research will ultimately determine the best summary statistics. Some of the available techniques are described here in terms of their value to research and to clinical practice, and an approach is proposed based on considerations of the physiology of blood pressure in free-living man.