The PAMELA (Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni) study: Main features and results

The PAMELA (Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni) study represents a major research project aimed at investigating the normality values, prognostic significance and relationships of ambulatory and home blood pressure with end-organ damage and metabolic alterations. This article reviews the background, rationale and main results of the various PAMELA studies published to date. These include studies focused on (i) the normal values of ambulatory and home blood pressure in different age decades; (ii) the relevance of the different blood pressures in predicting the occurrence of end-organ damage; (iii) the prognostic significance of 'white-coat' and 'masked' hypertension; (iv) the 'power' of different blood pressures in predicting cardiovascular and all-cause death; and (v) the main features of the blood pressure control in the population. Altogether, the findings reported in this review emphasise the clinical relevance of ambulatory and home blood pressure and the importance of obtaining information on different blood pressures both in treated and untreated hypertensive patients. © 2007 Adis Data Information BV. All rights reserved