24 hour blood pressure monitoring (Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring or APBM) involves measuring blood pressure (BP) at regular intervals (usually every 20–30 minutes) over a 24-hour period while you carry on with normal daily activities. ABPM has the additional advantage of measuring your BP during sleep and it is now known that night time BP may give much valuable information.
Your ABPM is measured with a small monitor, worn in a pouch on a belt, and the monitor is connected to a cuff on your upper arm. This cuff inflates and deflates regularly measuring the systolic (upper) and the diastolic (lower) blood pressure as well as your average blood pressure and heart rate.
ABPM is safe and free of complications, apart from occasional discomfort when the cuff is inflating. Occasionally there may be slight bruising of the arm. Modern machines are light, quiet and easy to wear but can sometimes disturb sleep.
24 hour blood pressure monitoring is free with the doctor visit card and the full medical card.