Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) is when your blood pressure is being measured as you move around, living your normal daily life. It is normally carried over 24 hours. It uses a small digital blood pressure machine that is attached to a belt around your body and which is connected to a cuff around your upper arm.
There are a number of reasons why your doctor might suggest Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring:
- They may want to find out if your high blood pressure readings in the clinic are much higher than they are away from the clinic (called the “white coat effect”).
- They may want to see how well your medicines are working, to make sure they are controlling your blood pressure through the day.
- They may want to see if your blood pressure stays high at night. If this is the case, they may need to change or adjust your medicines.