Objective: The purpose of this study was to systematically compare methods for standardization of blood pressure levels obtained by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in a group of 111 children studied at our institution.
Methods: Blood pressure indices, blood pressure loads and standard deviation scores were calculated using the original ABPM and the modified reference standards. Bland-Altman plots and kappa statistics for the level of agreement were generated.
Results: Overall, the agreement between the two methods was excellent; however, approximately 5% of children were classified differently by one as compared with the other method.
Conclusion: Depending on which version of the German Working Group's reference standards is used for interpretation of ABPM data, the classification of the individual as having hypertension or normal blood pressure may vary.