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Blood Pressure Classification

Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine

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Synonyms

Ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM); Blood pressure (BP); Diastolic blood pressure (DBP); Office blood pressure measurement (OBPM); Systolic blood pressure (SBP)

Definition

Blood pressure (BP) as utilized in human research and medical care is the hydrostatic pressure exerted by blood contained within systemic arteries. Blood pressure is usually reported as the combination of two values: systolic (SBP), which is the highest BP value as the heart muscle contracts, and diastolic (DBP), the lowest value of BP that occurs just before the heart begins to contract again. The units used in the United States are mmHg.

Description

Accurate BP Estimation

Intra-arterial catheterization is the only way to measure BP; all noninvasive assessments of BP are estimates. Traditional auscultatory estimation was described by Korotkoff in 1905 (Korotkoff 1905). It still represents a “gold standard” against which to compare other, usually automated, techniques.

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References and Further Readings

  • Alpert, B. S., Quinn, D., & Gallick, D. (2014). Oscillometric blood pressure: A review for clinicians. Journal of the American Society of Hypertension, 8, 930–938.

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  • Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation. American national standard: Non-invasive sphygmomanometers – Part 2: Clinical investigation of automated measurement type ANSI/AAMI/ISO 2013; 81060-2. Arlington.

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  • Korotkoff, N. S. (1905). On the subject of methods of measuring blood pressure. Bull Imp Military Medical Academy, 11, 365–367.

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  • Pickering, T. G., Hall, J. E., Appel, L. J., Falkner, B. E., Graves, J., Hill, M. N., Jones, D. W., Kurtz, T., Sheps, S. G., & Roccella, E. J. (2005). Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans and experimental animals, part I: Blood pressure measurement in humans. A statement for professionals from the subcommittee of professional and public education of the American Heart Association Council on High Blood Pressure Research. Circulation, 111, 697–716.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vischer AS, Socrates T, Winterhalder C, Eckstein J, Mayr M, Burkard T (2019) Impact of single-visit American versus European office blood pressure measurement procedure on individual blood pressure classification: A cross-sectional study. Clinical Research in Cardiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-019-01426-w

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  • Whelton, P. K., Carey, R. M., Aronow, W. S., Casey, D. E., Jr., Collins, K. J., Himmelfarb, D., C., DePalma, S. M., Gidding, S., Jamerson, K. A., Jones, D. W., MacLaughlin, E. J., Muntner, P., Ovbiagele, B., Smith, S. C., Jr., Spencer, C. C., Stafford, R. S., Taler, S. J., Thomas, R. J., Williams, K. A., Sr., Williamson, J. D., & Wright, J. T., Jr. (2017). ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: Executive summary. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2017.11.005.

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  • Williams, B., Mancia,G., Spiering, W., Agabiti Rosei, E., Azizi, M., Burnier, M., Clement, D. L., Coca, A., de Simone, G., Dominiczak, A., Kahan, T., Mahfoud, F., Redon, J., Ruilope, L., Zanchetti, A., Kerins, M., Kjeldsen, S. E., Kreutz, R., Laurent, S., Lip, G. Y. H., McManus, R., Narkiewicz, K., Ruschitzka, F., Schmieder, R. E., Shlyakhto, E., Tsioufis, C., Aboyans, V., Desormais, I. (2018). ESC/ESH guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension. European Heart Journal, 39(33), 3021–3104. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehy33.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA

    Bruce S. Alpert

  2. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

Authors
  1. Bruce S. Alpert
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  2. Marc D. Gellman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce S. Alpert .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc Gellman

Section Editor information

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

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Alpert, B.S., Gellman, M.D. (2018). Blood Pressure Classification. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102010-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102010-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Blood Pressure Classification
    Published:
    30 January 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102010-2

  2. Original

    Blood Pressure Classification
    Published:
    30 April 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_102010-1

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