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- Page navigation anchor for Realistic methods detecting reverse dippers in primary careRealistic methods detecting reverse dippers in primary care
We have read with great interest “Diagnosing hypertension in primary care: a retrospective cohort study to investigate the importance of night-time blood pressure assessment”.1
The cohort research investigated the prevalence of different hypertension phenotypes regarding dipper or non-dipper in multiple cohorts. The result amazingly shows that 10.8% of community people and about 50% of hospitalized patients have the phenotype of reverse dipper of blood pressure.1 Thus, in primary and hospital care, physicians need to take care of the night dip of blood pressure to diagnose hypertension and not miss hypertension patients.
The research’s strong point is clarifying the high prevalence of reverse dippers in hospitals and communities. Usually, patients focus on daytime blood pressure and satisfy the control. Family physicians may support patients’ adherence to treatment based on the results which patients show in regular check-ups. This study put a critical question to family physician’s practice, “Is it enough for your patient?” Family physicians are gatekeepers and gate openers for better health.2 Respecting the result of this study, family physicians focus again on night dip of blood pressure for regular patients with hypertension and other chronic diseases.
For the implementation of the results effectively in primary care settings, the time of measuring blood pressure ca...
Competing Interests: None declared.