Blood Pressure Variability: Assessment, Prognostic Significance and Management

Interest in blood pressure variability (BPV) as a cardiovascular risk factor has gained focus in recent times. Increased BPV places added strain on the cardiovascular (CV) system unrelated to its average value, leading to increased risk of target organ damage (TOD) and CV events. Recent data suggests that there is inter-drug variation in efficacy with calcium channel blockers (CCBs) such as Amlodipine proving superior to other drugs in reducing BPV. Addition of CCBs to other antihypertensive agents significantly reduces BPV; however the reverse is not true.