There is disagreement between the American and the European guidelines for hypertension management in regard to the optimal blood pressure target in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Randomized clinical trials and meta-analyses of individual patient data pooled from these trials do not clearly support an intensive blood pressure target for the entire population of CKD patients with hypertension. However, some evidence suggests that in CKD patients with proteinuria strict blood pressure control might confer benefit in terms of renal outcome. Tailored treatment strategy based on the individual's proteinuric profile and tolerability along with standardization of blood pressure measurement methodology including out-of-office evaluation are of paramount importance in patients with CKD.

Emerging evidence shows that severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be complicated with coagulopathy, namely disseminated intravascular coagulation, which has a rather prothrombotic character with high risk of venous thromboembolism. The incidence of venous thromboembolism among COVID-19 patients in intensive care units appears to be somewhat higher compared to that reported in other studies including such patients with other disease conditions. D-dimer might help in early recognition of these high-risk patients and also predict outcome. Preliminary data show that in patients with severe COVID-19, anticoagulant therapy appears to be associated with lower mortality in the subpopulation meeting sepsis-induced coagulopathy criteria or with markedly elevated d-dimer. Recent recommendations suggest that all hospitalized COVID-19 patients should receive thromboprophylaxis, or full therapeutic-intensity anticoagulation if such an indication is present.

Self-home blood pressure (BP) monitoring is recommended to guide clinical decisions on hypertension and is used worldwide for cardiovascular risk management. People usually make their own decisions when purchasing BP devices, which can be made online. If patients purchase nonvalidated devices (those not proven accurate according to internationally accepted standards), hypertension management may be based on inaccurate readings resulting in under- or over-diagnosis or treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the number, type, percentage validated, and cost of home BP devices available online. A search of online businesses selling devices for home BP monitoring was conducted. Multinational companies make worldwide deliveries, so searches were restricted to BP devices available for one nation (Australia) as an example of device availability through the global online marketplace. Validation status of BP devices was determined according to established protocols. Fifty nine online businesses, selling 972 unique BP devices were identified. These included 278 upper-arm cuff devices (18.3% validated), 162 wrist-cuff devices (8.0% validated), and 532 wrist-band wearables (0% validated). Most BP devices (92.4%) were stocked by international e-commerce businesses (eg, eBay, Amazon), but only 5.5% were validated. Validated cuff BP devices were more expensive than nonvalidated devices: median (interquartile range) of 101.1 (75.0-151.5) versus 67.4 (30.4-112.8) Australian Dollars. Nonvalidated BP devices dominate the online marketplace and are sold at lower cost than validated ones, which is a major barrier to accurate home BP monitoring and cardiovascular risk management. Before purchasing a BP device, people should check it has been validated at https://www.stridebp.org.

: Blood pressure measurement in obese individuals can be challenging because of the difficulty in properly cuffing large upper arms. Achieving a proper cuff fit can be problematic especially in people with a shorter arm length relative to circumference. This expert statement provides recommendations on blood pressure measurement in large arms for clinical use and research purposes. Tronco-conically shaped cuffs should be used in people with large arms, especially with arm circumferences greater than 42 cm as they better fit on the conical arm shape. Cuffs with frustum of the cone slant angle of 85° should satisfy most conditions. In individuals with short upper-arm that does not allow application of a properly sized cuff, wrist or forearm measurement might be used in clinical practice, but not for validation of automatic devices. Wide-range cuffs coupled to oscillometric devices provided with special software algorithms can also be used as alternatives to standard cuff measurement, provided they are independently validated per AAMI/ISO 81060-2 protocol. For validation studies, the intraarterial measurement is generally considered as the gold standard, yet for possible methodological pitfalls and ethical concerns, it is not recommended as the method of choice. Tronco-conical cuffs with inflatable bladder dimensions of 37-50 × 75-100% arm circumference should be used for reference auscultatory blood pressure measurement wherever the upper arm length allows a proper fit. There is a need for future studies that help identify the optimal shape of cuffs and bladders investigating the influence of sex, age, arm physical properties, and artery characteristics.

The Lancet Commission on Hypertension identified that a key action to address the worldwide burden of high blood pressure (BP) was to improve the quality of BP measurements by using BP devices that have been validated for accuracy. Currently, there are over 3 000 commercially available BP devices, but many do not have published data on accuracy testing according to established scientific standards. This problem is enabled through weak or absent regulations that allow clearance of devices for commercial use without formal validation. In addition, new BP technologies have emerged (e.g. cuffless sensors) for which there is no scientific consensus regarding BP measurement accuracy standards. Altogether, these issues contribute to the widespread availability of clinic and home BP devices with limited or uncertain accuracy, leading to inappropriate hypertension diagnosis, management and drug treatment on a global scale. The most significant problems relating to the accuracy of BP devices can be resolved by the regulatory requirement for mandatory independent validation of BP devices according to the universally-accepted International Organization for Standardization Standard. This is a primary recommendation for which there is an urgent international need. Other key recommendations are development of validation standards specifically for new BP technologies and online lists of accurate devices that are accessible to consumers and health professionals. Recommendations are aligned with WHO policies on medical devices and universal healthcare. Adherence to recommendations would increase the global availability of accurate BP devices and result in better diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, thus decreasing the worldwide burden from high BP.

: Blood pressure (BP) exhibits seasonal variation with lower levels at higher environmental temperatures and higher at lower temperatures. This is a global phenomenon affecting both sexes, all age groups, normotensive individuals, and hypertensive patients. In treated hypertensive patients it may result in excessive BP decline in summer, or rise in winter, possibly deserving treatment modification. This Consensus Statement by the European Society of Hypertension Working Group on BP Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability provides a review of the evidence on the seasonal BP variation regarding its epidemiology, pathophysiology, relevance, magnitude, and the findings using different measurement methods. Consensus recommendations are provided for health professionals on how to evaluate the seasonal BP changes in treated hypertensive patients and when treatment modification might be justified. (i) In treated hypertensive patients symptoms appearing with temperature rise and suggesting overtreatment must be investigated for possible excessive BP drop due to seasonal variation. On the other hand, a BP rise during cold weather, might be due to seasonal variation. (ii) The seasonal BP changes should be confirmed by repeated office measurements; preferably with home or ambulatory BP monitoring. Other reasons for BP change must be excluded. (iii) Similar issues might appear in people traveling from cold to hot places, or the reverse. (iv) BP levels below the recommended treatment goal should be considered for possible down-titration, particularly if there are symptoms suggesting overtreatment. SBP less than 110 mmHg requires consideration for treatment down-titration, even in asymptomatic patients. Further research is needed on the optimal management of the seasonal BP changes.

The prognostic relevance of short-term blood pressure (BP) variability in hypertension is not clearly established. We aimed to evaluate the association of short-term BP variability, assessed through ambulatory BP monitoring, with total and cardiovascular mortality in a large cohort of patients with hypertension. We selected 63 910 subjects from the Spanish ABPM Registry from 2004 to 2014, with a median follow-up of 4.7 years. Systolic and diastolic BP SD from 24 hours, daytime, and nighttime, weighted SD (mean of daytime and nighttime SD weighted for period duration), average real variability (mean of differences between consecutive readings), variation independent of the mean, and BP variability ratio (ratio between systolic and diastolic 24-hour SD) were calculated through 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring performed at baseline. Association with total and cardiovascular mortality (obtained through death certificates) were assessed by Cox regression models adjusted for clinical confounders and BP. Patients who died during follow-up had higher values of BP variability compared with those remaining alive. In fully adjusted models, daytime, nighttime, and weighted SD, systolic and diastolic, as well as diastolic average real variability, were all significantly associated with total and cardiovascular mortality. Hazard ratios for 1 SD increase ranged from 1.05 to 1.09 for total mortality and from 1.07 to 1.12 for cardiovascular mortality. A nighttime systolic SD ≥12 mm Hg was independently associated with total (hazard ratio: 1.13 [95% CI, 1.06-1.21]) and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio: 1.21 [95% CI, 1.09-1.36]). We conclude that short-term BP variability is independently associated with total and cardiovascular mortality in patients with hypertension.

: The Lancet Commission on Hypertension identified that a key action to address the worldwide burden of high blood pressure (BP) was to improve the quality of BP measurements by using BP devices that have been validated for accuracy. Currently, there are over 3000 commercially available BP devices, but many do not have published data on accuracy testing according to established scientific standards. This problem is enabled through weak or absent regulations that allow clearance of devices for commercial use without formal validation. In addition, new BP technologies have emerged (e.g. cuffless sensors) for which there is no scientific consensus regarding BP measurement accuracy standards. Altogether, these issues contribute to the widespread availability of clinic and home BP devices with limited or uncertain accuracy, leading to inappropriate hypertension diagnosis, management and drug treatment on a global scale. The most significant problems relating to the accuracy of BP devices can be resolved by the regulatory requirement for mandatory independent validation of BP devices according to the universally-accepted International Organisation for Standardization Standard. This is a primary recommendation for which there is an urgent international need. Other key recommendations are development of validation standards specifically for new BP technologies and online lists of accurate devices that are accessible to consumers and health professionals. Recommendations are aligned with WHO policies on medical devices and universal healthcare. Adherence to recommendations would increase the global availability of accurate BP devices and result in better diagnosis and treatment of hypertension, thus decreasing the worldwide burden from high BP.

Blood pressure (BP) monitors equipped with atrial fibrillation (AF) detection algorithm are attractive screening tools for AF in elderly hypertensives. This study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of a novel cuffless pocket-size self-BP monitor (Freescan, Maisense) equipped with an AF detection algorithm, which displays results for the detection of "AF" or "Arrhythmia" during routine BP measurement. Subjects aged >65 years or 60-65 years with hypertension, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease were subjected to BP measurements using the Freescan device with simultaneous continuous Holter electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring. Readings with device notification "Instability" (29%) or "Error" (20%) were discarded. Data from 136 subjects with five valid Freescan BP measurements were analyzed (age 73.8 ± 7.1 years, males 63%, treated hypertensives 88%, AF in ECG 21%). Analysis of 680 Freescan readings vs ECG revealed specificity 99%, sensitivity 67%, and diagnostic accuracy 93% for AF diagnosis. When the "Arrhythmia" notification was considered as AF diagnosis, the sensitivity was improved (93%, 96%, and 93%, respectively). Analysis of AF diagnosis in subjects (diagnosis defined as at least three of five readings indicating "AF" or "Arrhythmia") revealed specificity, sensitivity, and diagnostic accuracy for AF detection at 94%, 100%, and 95%, respectively. These data suggest that the Freescan cuffless device could be used as a useful screening tool for AF detection during routine self-measurement of BP in the elderly.

: The diagnosis and management of hypertension is dependent upon accurate blood pressure (BP) measurement. Despite intense efforts over several decades by the international medical community worldwide, the use of inaccurate devices has resulted in the misdiagnosis and poor management of hypertension, which remains a largely unresolved public health problem. STRIDE BP (www.stridebp.org) is an international nonprofit organization the mission of which is to improve the accuracy of BP measurement and the diagnosis of hypertension. STRIDE BP comprises a group of 24 recognized experts in BP monitoring from across the world and operates in affiliation with the European Society of Hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension, and the World Hypertension League. In the first stage, STRIDE BP has reviewed 419 validations of 260 devices and approved 69% of them, providing recommendations on accurate devices for office, ambulatory and home BP measurement in adults, children and during pregnancy. At the next stage, STRIDE BP intends to develop programs for on-line training and tools for use in clinical practice leading to improved measurement of BP and better diagnosis of hypertension world-wide.

Blood pressure (BP) is a vital sign, and its measurement is essential for diagnosing and treating hypertension. The accuracy of BP monitors is therefore essential, but unfortunately very few devices available on the market have been validated using an established protocol. STRIDE BP (www.stridebp.org) is an international nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the accuracy of BP measurement and the diagnosis of hypertension. It has a prestigious Scientific Advisory Board and operates in affiliation with the European Society of Hypertension, the International Society of Hypertension, and the World Hypertension League. STRIDE BP provides lists of accurate office, ambulatory, and home BP monitors. STRIDE BP performed a systematic review of 419 published validations (270 articles and 260 devices). In these publications, 50 (12%) of the validations were rejected compared with 129 (31%) rejected by STRIDE BP (P < .001). Of 79 validations approved in publications but rejected by STRIDE BP, 7 (9%) were rejected due to device inaccuracy and 72 (91%) due to inadequate study quality (execution, analysis, and reporting). Errors in conducting and reporting published validations must be avoided. Peer review must ascertain that a comprehensive checklist of all aspects of a validation study have been adhered to. The implementation of a Universal Standard for device validation and the global dissemination of information on accurate devices by STRIDE BP are expected to improve the quality and accuracy of BP measurement, which should have a positive impact on the diagnosis and management of hypertension globally.