Misdiagnosis of hypertension rife: AusDiab study
Ambulatory BP monitoring needs to be subsidised, say researchers
17th May 2019
By Kemal Atlay
Australia’s first population-based study using ambulatory blood pressure monitoring has uncovered widespread underdiagnosis of hypertension, prompting a call for a new Medicare item for 24-hour monitoring.
Researchers from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne analysed 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure among 508 adults (mean age 59), a subcohort enrolled in the third Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab3).
Comparing ambulatory blood pressure with office measurement, they estimated that 43% of participants were hypertensive yet only a quarter were