Methodological factors affecting quantification of blood pressure variability: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hypertension Research
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Blood pressure variability (BPV) may hold prognostic value, but inconsistent findings exist.
• Discrepancies in BPV data may stem from diverse measurement methodologies.
• A systematic analysis of how BPV measurement methods influence BPV magnitude is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically analyze the effect of different blood pressure variability (BPV) measurement methodologies on BPV magnitude.
• To investigate the influence of participant characteristics, specifically age and mean blood pressure level, on BPV.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review of 96 studies was conducted.
• Key methodological factors examined included the number of BP readings/visits and monitoring duration.
• BPV was analyzed across short-term (24-h BP), mid-term (home BP), and long-term (visit-to-visit) monitoring durations.

Main Results:

• The number of BP readings/visits positively correlated with mid-term and long-term BPV.
• Monitoring duration showed a weak association with mid-term (morning) BPV.
• Age correlated positively with long-term and mid-term (day-to-day) BPV, but not short-term BPV. Mean BP level generally correlated positively with BPV.

Conclusions:

• The methodology employed to quantify BPV significantly affects its measured magnitude.
• Participant characteristics like age and mean BP level also influence BPV.
• Standardization of BPV measurement protocols, particularly concerning the number of BP readings and visits, is essential.