Vascular health assessment of the hypertensive patients (VASOTENS) Registry: rationale, design and methods of an international registry for ambulatory blood pressure and arterial stiffness telemonitoring

Abstract

Ambulatory (A) blood pressure (BP), central BP and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are parameters recommended by hypertension guidelines for estimating BP control and vascular impairment. Recent advances in technology made available devices allowing combined non-invasive estimation of these parameters over the 24-h during ABP monitoring (ABPM). However, at present, there is limited evidence on the usefulness of such an approach for routine hypertension managementWe recently launched an investigator-initiated, international, multicenter, observational, prospective study with the following objectives: • The evaluation of non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure and arterial stiffness estimates (through PWA) in hypertensive subjects undergoing an ABPM for clinical reasons in the selected centers; • The evaluation of the changes in blood pressure and arterial stiffness estimates following treatment initiation according to current guidelines; • The assessment of the impact of non-invasive arterial stiffness estimation on target organ damage and patient’s cardiovascular prognosis; • The definition of the normalcy thresholds for PWV, AI and other current and future indices derived from PWA according to outcome data; • The definition of the relationship between arterial stiffness, blood pressure absolute level and blood pressure variability, and outcomes; • The setup of a worldwide network of centers performing ambulatory PWA, and the validation and promotion of the use of such technique for hypertension screening and follow-up; • The provision of evidence on the clinical relevance of non-invasive arterial stiffness assessment, in order to favor the inclusion of such evaluation in recommendations on hypertension management.