Clinical evaluation of changes in alimentary motivation and arterial pressure in patients with essential hypertension

A study was made of the main signs of food motivation in 132 patients with stages I-III essential hypertension on the basis of analysis of a special questionnaire: the patients were interviewed in hospital and after discharge (a total of 40-46 days) to reveal the effect of raised arterial pressure on food behavioral reactions. Clinical signs of a hypertensive crisis were noted in 87 patients, in 45 patients raised arterial pressure was not accompanied by a crisis. In 82% of the cases hypertensive reactions produced a marked effect on the manifestations of food motivation. Anorectic reactions prevailed in the first 3-6 days in 98 of 109 patients (80.7%). These reactions were pronounced and prolonged in the patients with normal body mass. During the second week hyperphagic reactions prevailed in 68% of the cases, their frequency, expression and period were greater in the patients with concomitant obesity. The revealed time course of food behavioral reactions reflected the phase of food motivation in patients with arterial hypertension: hypertensive anorexia followed by post-hypertensive hyperphagia for 2-3 weeks.