Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring : effect of physical activity

The present thesis deals with the effects of physical activity and body posture on ambulatory BP and systemic haemodynamics in normotensive and hypertensive individuals. The Activity Monitor, i.e., the method used to measure physical activity and posture, is the constant factor in the presented studies. The Activity Monitor is a combination of acceleration sensors mounted on the trunk and legs, a portable data recorder, and analysis software. With this technique, which has been validated in previous studies, physical activity can be quantified and posture (lying, sitting, standing) and type of activity (e.g., general movement, walking) can be automatically detected [56,57]. The method used to measure BP varies between the presented studies. BP was measured intermittently and non-invasively in studies aiming to improve interpretation of ABPM in clinical practice, whereas BP was measured continuously and invasively in studies aiming to determine in detail the effects of physical activity and posture on BP and systemic haemodynamics