Insufficient duration of action of antihypertensive drugs mediates high blood pressure in the morning in hypertensive population: the Ohasama study

Blood pressure (BP) usually peaks in the morning. The circadian variation of the onset of cardiovascular disease mimics this circadian BP variation. To examine the determinants of the BP difference between the self-recorded BP in the morning (home BP) and daytime average ambulatory BP a cross sectional study was done in the general population of Ohasama, Japan. 1207 subjects > or = 20 years measured both home (more than 14 times) and ambulatory BPs (326 treated for hypertension and 881 untreated subjects), The prevalence of subjects with the systolic BP difference (home BP in the morning - daytime ambulatory BP) of > or = 10 mmHg (high morning BP) was 5.6% in untreated normotensives, 2.9% in untreated hypertensives, and 25.8% in treated hypertensives. This trend was also observed for diastolic pressure. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that age, male sex, and use of antihypertensive drugs were positively associated and day-night difference of BP was negatively associated with the high morning BP, respectively. These results suggest an insufficient duration of antihypertensive action of widely used antihypertensive drugs in Japan from the 1980s to 1990s. The amplitude of the day-night difference of ambulatory BP in subjects with a high morning BP was lower (non-dipping) than that without high morning BP. The high morning BP is not necessarily accompanied by hypertension but might be mediated, at least in part, by an insufficient duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. The high morning BP accompanies so-called non-dipper pattern of circadian BP variation. An insufficient duration of action of drugs may partly mediate non-dipping in subjects with antihypertensive medication.     

Nocturnal blood pressure in untreated essential hypertensives

AIM. Prevalence, correlates and reproducibility of nocturnal hypertension (NH) as defined by fixed cut-off limits in uncomplicated essential hypertension are poorly defined. Therefore, we assessed such issue in a cohort of 658 untreated hypertensives. METHODS. All subjects underwent procedures including cardiac and carotid ultrasonography, 24-h urine collection for microalbuminuria, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), over two 24-h periods within 4 weeks. NH was defined according to current guidelines (i.e. night-time blood pressure, BP ? 120/70 mmHg) and non-dipping status as a reduction in average systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) at night lower than 10% compared with daytime values. RESULTS. A total of 477 subjects showed NH during the first and second ABPM period; 62 subjects had normal nocturnal BP (NN) in both ABPM sessions. Finally, 119 subjects changed their pattern from one ABPM session to the other. Overall, 72.5% of subjects had reproducible NH, 18% variable pattern (VP) and 9.5% reproducible NN. In the same group, figures of reproducible non-dipping, variable dipping and reproducible dipping pattern were 24%, 24% and 52%, respectively. Among NH patients, 56% of whom were dippers, subclinical cardiac organ damage was more pronounced than in their NN counterparts. CONCLUSIONS. In uncomplicated essential hypertensives, NH is a more frequent pattern than non-dipping; NH is associated with organ damage, independently of dipping/non-dipping status. This suggests that options aimed at restoring a blunted nocturnal BP fall may be insufficient to prevent cardiovascular complications unless night-time BP values are fully normalized.     

Prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients without and with blood pressure control: data from the PAMELA population. Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni

Previous studies have shown that in the population, only a minority of treated hypertensive patients achieve blood pressure (BP) control. Whether and to what extent this inadequate control has reflection on hypertension-related organ damage has never been systematically examined. In 2051 subjects belonging to the PAMELA (Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni) Study population, we measured office, home, and 24-hour ambulatory BP values, together with echocardiographic left ventricular mass and wall thickness. Based on the fraction on antihypertensive treatment and on measurements of increased or normal office, home, or 24-hour ambulatory BP values, subjects were classified as normotensives, untreated hypertensives, treated hypertensives with inadequate BP control, and treated hypertensives with effective BP control. Compared with values in the normotensive group, left ventricular mass index, left ventricular wall thickness, and prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy were markedly increased not only in untreated hypertensive patients but also in treated hypertensives with inadequate BP control. Echocardiographic abnormalities were less in treated hypertensives with BP control than in patients with inadequate BP control, but values were still clearly greater than in normotensive subjects. This was the case regardless whether BP control was assessed by office, home, and/or ambulatory values. Our data provide evidence that in the hypertensive fraction of the population, cardiac structural alterations can be frequently found in both the presence and absence of antihypertensive treatment. They also imply that even effective treatment of hypertension does not allow complete reversal of the cardiac organ damage characterizing high BP states.     

Efficacy and Duration of Action of the Four Selective Angiotensin II Subtype 1 Receptor Blockers,Losartan, Candesartan,Valsartan and Telmisartan,in Patients with Essential Hypertension Determined by Home Blood Pressure Measurements

Our objective was to compare the efficacy and duration of action of 4 angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)—losartan (25–100 mg), candesartan (2–12 mg), valsartan (40–80 mg), and telmisartan (10–40 mg)—in patients with essential hypertension using self-measurement of blood pressure at home (home BP) and to examine the differential effect of the four ARBs on home pulse pressure (home PP). After a 2-week run-in period, each of the 4 ARBs was assigned to subjects who were diagnosed as having hypertension on the basis of home BP and who were over 30 years old. The subjects were asked to take the ARB once daily in the morning and to measure home BP once in the evening and in the morning. We compared the efficacy of each ARB on home BP and home PP and assessed the duration of the BP-lowering effect using the morning effect versus evening effect ratio (M/E ratio). The antihypertensive effects of telmisartan on home systolic BP (SBP) both in the evening and in the morning and on home diastolic BP (DBP) in the morning were significantly greater than those of losartan. The effect of each ARB on home BP in the morning and in the evening was expressed as a ratio (M/E ratio). The M/E ratios of SBP/DBP in patients treated with losartan, candesartan, valsartan, and telmisartan were 0.49/0.16, 0.69/1.01, 0.82/0.88, and 0.88/0.88, respectively. The home PP-lowering effect was greater for valsartan and telmisartan than for losartan and candesartan in the morning. Among the 4 ARBs, the duration of the BP-lowering effect of losartan did not persist throughout 24 hr. The effects of the other 3 ARBs, in particular telmisartan, persisted over 24 hr when they were administered once daily in the morning. In addition, the duration of the PP-lowering effect was similar to that of the BP-lowering effect. Such long-acting property of several ARBs is essential for the modern antihypertensive treatment, and home BP measurements are useful for determining the duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. Losartan, 25 mg a day, which is usually used as an initial dose in Japan, is apparently insufficient to obtain adequate antihypertensive effect and sufficient duration of action.     

Efficacy and duration of action of the four selective angiotensin II subtype 1 receptor blockers, losartan, candesartan, valsartan and telmisartan, in patients with essential hypertension determined by home blood pressure measurements

Our objective was to compare the efficacy and duration of action of 4 angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)--losartan (25-100 mg), candesartan (2-12 mg), valsartan (40-80 mg), and telmisartan (10-40 mg)-in patients with essential hypertension using self-measurement of blood pressure at home (home BP) and to examine the differential effect of the four ARBs on home pulse pressure (home PP). After a 2-week run-in period, each of the 4 ARBs was assigned to subjects who were diagnosed as having hypertension on the basis of home BP and who were over 30 years old. The subjects were asked to take the ARB once daily in the morning and to measure home BP once in the evening and in the morning. We compared the efficacy of each ARB on home BP and home PP and assessed the duration of the BP-lowering effect using the morning effect versus evening effect ratio (M/E ratio). The antihypertensive effects of telmisartan on home systolic BP (SBP) both in the evening and in the morning and on home diastolic BP (DBP) in the morning were significantly greater than those of losartan. The effect of each ARB on home BP in the morning and in the evening was expressed as a ratio (M/E ratio). The M/E ratios of SBP/DBP in patients treated with losartan, candesartan, valsartan, and telmisartan were 0.49/0.16, 0.69/1.01, 0.82/0.88, and 0.88/0.88, respectively. The home PP-lowering effect was greater for valsartan and telmisartan than for losartan and candesartan in the morning. Among the 4 ARBs, the duration of the BP-lowering effect of losartan did not persist throughout 24 hr. The effects of the other 3 ARBs, in particular telmisartan, persisted over 24 hr when they were administered once daily in the morning. In addition, the duration of the PP-lowering effect was similar to that of the BP-lowering effect. Such long-acting property of several ARBs is essential for the modern antihypertensive treatment, and home BP measurements are useful for determining the duration of action of antihypertensive drugs. Losartan, 25 mg a day, which is usually used as an initial dose in Japan, is apparently insufficient to obtain adequate antihypertensive effect and sufficient duration of action.     

Relationships among blood pressures obtained using different measurement methods in the general population of Ohasama, Japan.

To examine the relationships between casual, ambulatory and home blood pressure measurements in the general population, these measurements were obtained in 1,695 of 3,744 subjects aged 20 yr or older in Ohasama, Japan. Of these 1,695 subjects, 1,207 measured their home blood pressure more than 14 times in each of the morning and evening (881 untreated subjects including normotensives and untreated hypertensives, 56.4 +/- 11.5 yr of age; 326 treated subjects, 66.0 +/- 9.2 yr of age). We analyzed data in these 1,207 subjects, examining the distribution of each measurement, the relationships among measurements, and the factors affecting the blood pressure differences among the measurements. For systolic pressure, the casual measurement was the highest among the methods examined. The daytime ambulatory measurement was significantly higher than morning and evening home measurements. Morning home measurements were significantly higher than those in the evening. For diastolic pressure, however, the morning home measurement was the highest among the methods examined. Short-term pressure variability (standard deviation and variation coefficient of ambulatory measurements) was greater than long-term pressure variability (standard deviation and variation coefficient of home measurements). The pressure variability in treated subjects was greater than that in untreated subjects. The correlation between casual pressure and the other pressures was not as strong (r<0.567). Among the relationships between ambulatory and home measurements, the strongest correlation was observed between the 24-h ambulatory measurement and the morning home measurement (r=0.738) in untreated subjects. The morning home measurement was highly correlated with the evening home measurement (r>0.814). The differences among the methods examined were affected by blood pressure level and age. It should be noted that in elderly and treated subjects, blood pressure measurement using one method does not necessarily correlate with that obtained using the other methods. This information is useful for the estimation of the value of one type of blood pressure measurement from values obtained with other methods.     

Short-term reproducibility of nocturnal non-dipping pattern in recently diagnosed essential hypertensives

Objective : To investigate in a selected population of patients with a recently diagnosed essential hypertension the short-term intrasubject variability of diurnal changes in blood pressure (BP). Methods : Two hundred and eight consecutive, recently diagnosed, never treated essential hypertensives (119 men, 89 women, 46 ±12 years) underwent 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) twice within 3 weeks. Dipping pattern was defined as a reduction in average systolic and diastolic BP at night greater than 10% compared to average daytime values. Results : 177 subjects (85%) showed no change in their diurnal variations in BP. Of the 159 subjects who had a dipping pattern on first ABPM, 134 (90.6%) confirmed this type of profile on the second ABPM, while 15 (9.4%) showed a non-dipping pattern. Of the 59 subjects who had a non-dipping pattern on the first ABPM, 43 (72.2%) confirmed their initial profile on the second ABPM, while 16 (28.8%) did not. Conclusion : These findings indicate that short-term reproducibility of diurnal changes in BP in early phases of untreated essential hypertension, characterized by a large prevalence of dipping pattern, is overall satisfactory. However, our study underlines that also in this particularly selected population of hypertensives the definition of non-dipping status on the basis of a single ABPM remains unreliable in about one-third of patients.     

No impact of blood pressure variability on microalbuminuria and left ventricular geometry: analysis of daytime variation, diurnal variation and 'white coat' effect

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of blood pressure variability on target organ involvement. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study of a hypertension clinic at a district general hospital, 420 patients with newly diagnosed untreated essential hypertension referred on a consecutive basis from general practice and 146 normal subjects drawn at random from the Danish National Register underwent a variety of measurements which included: echocardiography with determination of left ventricular mass index and relative wall thickness and early morning urine albumin/creatinine ratio. Mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of automated clinic values; daytime, night-time and full 24-h period were extracted from 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring. 'White coat' effect and dip were calculated. Hypertensives were classified into subjects with high or low variability, into 'white coat' hypertensives or established hypertensives and into dippers or non-dippers. RESULTS: Standard deviation of daytime blood pressure (BP) was positively associated with target organ damage and BP level, which was not the case when variability was expressed as a coefficient of variation. Patients with high variability exhibited no more significant target organ damage than patients with low variability, but patients with established hypertension had significantly more target organ damage than the 'white coat' hypertensives. The 'white coat' effect as such was not associated with increased target organ involvement. Non-dippers had significantly more cardiac target organ damage than dippers, but the difference disappeared after correction for different 24-h BP level. CONCLUSION: BP variability data obtained by non-invasive ABP monitoring does not seem to improve the information inherent in the BP level.     

Intraindividual blood pressure responses to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition and angiotensin receptor blockade

This study aims to test the hypothesis that in some hypertensive subjects the blood pressure (BP) response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition differs from that to angiotensin receptor blockade (ARB); a responder to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition may not respond to ARB or the opposite. A randomized, open-label, crossover, comparative trial of lisinopril 20 mg compared with telmisartan 80 mg (5 weeks per treatment period) was conducted in 32 untreated hypertensives using 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring. Subjects were classified as "responders" and "nonresponders" using an arbitrary threshold of ambulatory BP response (> or =10 mm Hg systolic or > or =5 diastolic) or the median response achieved by each drug. No difference was detected between the drugs in their effect on ambulatory BP (mean difference 1.2+/-7.1/0.7+/-5.1 mm Hg, systolic/diastolic). Significant correlations were found between the antihypertensive responses to the two drugs (r=0.77, p<0.001). Using the arbitrary response criterion, there was a difference between the drugs in the responses in 28%/13% of subjects (9/4 patients) for systolic/diastolic BP (19%/25% using the median response criterion). These data suggest that in some hypertensive patients the BP response to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition may fail to predict the response to ARB. It appears that there are differences in the antihypertensive action of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and ARBs that may be clinically important.     

Aldosterone-to-renin ratio and nocturnal blood pressure decline assessed by self-measurement of blood pressure at home: the Ohasama Study

Based on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) has been reported to be associated with a diminished nocturnal decline in BP, generally referred to as a “non-dipping” pattern. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between ARR and the non-dipping pattern based on home BP measurements. This study included 177 participants ≥55 years from the general population of Ohasama (mean age: 67.2 years; 74.6% women); no patient was receiving antihypertensive treatment. The median plasma renin activity (PRA), plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) and ARR were 0.8?ng/mL/h, 8.1?ng/dL and 9.7?ng/dL per ng/mL/h, respectively. Each 1 SD increase in log-transformed (ln) ARR was significantly associated with the prevalence of the non-dipping pattern after adjustments for possible confounding factors including home morning systolic BP (odds ratio, 1.45; p?=?0.049). However, no significant associations of PRA or PAC with the non-dipping pattern were observed (p?≥?0.2). When participants were divided into four groups according to median levels of home morning and night-time systolic BPs, the group with a higher home morning systolic BP (≥128.4?mmHg) with a higher home night-time systolic BP (≥114.4?mmHg) had the greatest ARR levels (ANCOVA p?=?0.01). These results support the hypothesis that relative aldosterone excess may be related to a non-dipping pattern in a general population and suggest that a non-dipping pattern can be accurately observed by home BP measurements.     

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring versus self-measurement of blood pressure at home: correlation with target organ damage

OBJECTIVE: Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring and home blood pressure measurements predicted the presence of target organ damage and the risk of cardiovascular events better than did office blood pressure. METHODS: To compare these two methods in their correlation with organ damage, we consecutively included 325 treated (70%) or untreated hypertensives (125 women, mean age = 64.5 +/- 11.3) with office (three measurements at two consultations), home (three measurements morning and evening over 3 days) and 24-h ambulatory monitoring. Target organs were evaluated by ECG, echocardiography, carotid echography and detection of microalbuminuria. Data from 302 patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean BP levels were 142/82 mmHg for office, 135.5/77 mmHg for home and 128/76 mmHg for 24-h monitoring (day = 130/78 mmHg; night = 118.5/67 mmHg). With a 135 mmHg cut-off, home and daytime blood pressure diverged in 20% of patients. Ambulatory and Home blood pressure were correlated with organ damage more closely than was office BP with a trend to better correlations with home BP. Using regression analysis, a 140 mmHg home systolic blood pressure corresponded to a 135 mmHg daytime systolic blood pressure; a 133 mmHg daytime ambulatory blood pressure and a 140 mmHg home blood pressure corresponded to the same organ damage cut-offs (Left ventricular mass index = 50 g/m, Cornell.QRS = 2440 mm/ms, carotid intima media thickness = 0.9 mm). Home-ambulatory differences were significantly associated with age and antihypertensive treatment. CONCLUSION: We showed that home blood pressure was at least as well correlated with target organ damage, as was the ambulatory blood pressure. Home-ambulatory correlation and their correlation with organ damage argue in favor of different cut-offs, that are approximately 5 mmHg higher for systolic home blood pressure.     

Weekly variation of home and ambulatory blood pressure and relation between arterial stiffness and blood pressure measurements in community-dwelling hypertensives

Although blood pressure (BP) is a major determinant of pulse wave velocity (PWV), some treatments have independent effects on BP and arterial stiffness. Although both ambulatory BP (ABP) and self-measured BP at home (HBP) have become important measures for the diagnosis and management of hypertension, single day recordings may be insufficient for a proper diagnosis of hypertension or the evaluation of treatment efficacy. To evaluate weekly variations in BP using 7-day HBP and 7-day ABP monitoring and to determine the relation between arterial stiffness and BP measurements in community-dwelling patients with hypertension. We enrolled 68 community-dwelling hypertensive subjects in this study. Significant weekly variations in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were found in the awake ABP data (p < .01, respectively), while no significant weekly variations in the asleep ABP or the morning and evening HBP data were observed. In untreated subjects, significant correlations were obtained between the brachial-ankle PWV and the average awake SBP, the average asleep SBP and the average SBP measured by HBP in the evening. In treated subjects, only the average SBP measured by HBP in the morning was significantly correlated with the baPWV. Differences in the weekly variations in BP were observed between HBP and ABP monitoring. In addition, the morning systolic HBP was not correlated with arterial stiffness in untreated subjects with hypertension but was correlated in treated subjects. Relations between the morning HBP and arterial stiffness might be attributed to morning surges in BP and/or trough levels of antihypertensive drugs.     

Weekly Variation of Home and Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Relation Between Arterial Stiffness and Blood Pressure Measurements in Community-Dwelling Hypertensives

Although blood pressure (BP) is a major determinant of pulse wave velocity (PWV), some treatments have independent effects on BP and arterial stiffness. Although both ambulatory BP (ABP) and self-measured BP at home (HBP) have become important measures for the diagnosis and management of hypertension, single day recordings may be insufficient for a proper diagnosis of hypertension or the evaluation of treatment efficacy. To evaluate weekly variations in BP using 7-day HBP and 7-day ABP monitoring and to determine the relation between arterial stiffness and BP measurements in community-dwelling patients with hypertension. We enrolled 68 community-dwelling hypertensive subjects in this study. Significant weekly variations in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were found in the awake ABP data (p < .01, respectively), while no significant weekly variations in the asleep ABP or the morning and evening HBP data were observed. In untreated subjects, significant correlations were obtained between the brachial-ankle PWV and the average awake SBP, the average asleep SBP and the average SBP measured by HBP in the evening. In treated subjects, only the average SBP measured by HBP in the morning was significantly correlated with the baPWV. Differences in the weekly variations in BP were observed between HBP and ABP monitoring. In addition, the morning systolic HBP was not correlated with arterial stiffness in untreated subjectswith hypertension but was correlated in treated subjects. Relations between the morning HBP and arterial stiffness might be attributed to morning surges in BP and/or trough levels of antihypertensive drugs.     

Multiple clinic and home blood pressure measurements versus ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

To compare multiple clinic and home blood pressure (BP) measurements and ambulatory BP monitoring in the clinical evaluation of hypertension, we studied 239 middle-aged pharmacologically untreated hypertensive men and women who were referred to the study from the primary healthcare provider. Ambulatory BP monitoring was successfully completed for 233 patients. Clinic BP was measured by a trained nurse with a mercury sphygmomanometer and averaged over 4 duplicate measures. Self-recorded home BP was measured with a semiautomatic oscillometric device twice every morning and twice every evening on 7 consecutive days. Ambulatory BP was recorded with an auscultatory device. Two-dimensionally controlled M-mode echocardiography was successfully performed on 232 patients. Twenty-four-hour urinary albumin was determined by nephelometry. Clinic BP was 144.5+/-12.6/94.5+/-7.4 mm Hg, home BP (the mean of 14 self-recorded measures) was 138.9+/-13.1/92.9+/-8.6 mm Hg, home morning BP (the mean of the first 4 duplicate morning measures) was 137.1+/-13.7/92.4+/-9.2 mm Hg, daytime ambulatory BP was 148.3+/-13. 9/91.9+/-7.8 mm Hg, nighttime ambulatory BP was 125.5+/-16.4/75. 6+/-8.9 mm Hg, and 24-hour ambulatory BP was 141.7+/-14.0/87.2+/-7.6 mm Hg. Pearson correlation coefficients of clinic, home, home morning, and daytime ambulatory BPs to albuminuria and to the characteristics of the left ventricle were nearly equal. In multivariate regression analyses, 36% (P<0.0001) of the cross-sectional variation in left ventricular mass index was attributed to gender and home morning systolic BP in models that originally included age, gender, and clinic, self-measured home morning, and ambulatory daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour systolic and diastolic BPs. We concluded that carefully controlled nonphysician-measured clinic and self-measured home BPs, when averaged over 4 duplicate measurements, are as reliable as ambulatory BP monitoring in the clinical evaluation of untreated hypertension.     

900例中老年高血压患者服药情况及动态血压监测的调查

目的调查目前高血压患者的服药情况及其对血压曲线的影响。方法随机选择门诊及住院的高血压患者,详细询问其病史和所服药物,并对其服用现有降压药物的情况进行24h动态血压监测。结果 (1)900例高血压患者中72例(占8%)未服任何降压药;单药治疗268例中,服用短效药物者171例(占63.8%),服用中长效药物者97例(占36.2%);联合治疗的560例中短效联合用药401例(占71.6%),中长效联合药159例(占28.4%)。(2)服用中长效单药治疗者其杓型、非杓型、超杓型及清晨高血压比例与服用短效药物者比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。(3)联合治疗中长效药物其杓型、非杓型、超杓型、清晨高血压比例与短效联合药物比较,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论 (1)对于高血压患者应该尽量服用长效药物,并且采取联合治疗,以有效、平稳控制血压,并调整患者血压的昼夜节律;(2)上级医院的专科医师应尽量多地组织基层治疗单位医师进行"中国高血压防治指南"的培训,使高血压防治更加规范化。     

A comparison of home measurement and ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure in the adjustment of antihypertensive treatment

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare home and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in the adjustment of antihypertensive treatment. METHODS: After a 4-week washout period, patients whose untreated daytime diastolic ambulatory BP averaged > or = 85 mm Hg were randomized to be treated according to their ambulatory or home BP. Antihypertensive treatment was adjusted at 6-week intervals according to the mean daytime ambulatory diastolic BP or the mean home diastolic BP, depending on the patient's randomization group. If the diastolic BP stayed above 80 mm Hg, the physician blinded to randomization intensified hypertensive treatment. RESULTS: Ninety-eight patients completed the study. During the 24-week follow-up period both systolic and diastolic BP decreased significantly within both groups (P < .001). At the end of the study, the systolic/diastolic differences between ambulatory (n = 46) and home (n = 52) BP groups in home, daytime ambulatory, night-time ambulatory, and 24-h ambulatory BP changes averaged 2.6/2.6 mm Hg, 0.6/1.7 mm Hg, 1.0/1.4 mm Hg, and 0.6/1.5 mm Hg, respectively (P range .06 to .75) A nonsignificant trend to more intensive drug therapy in the ambulatory BP group and a nonsignificant trend to larger share of patients reaching (57.7% v 43.5%, P = .16) the target pressure in the home BP group was observed due to the 3.8 mm Hg difference in ambulatory and home diastolic BP at randomization. CONCLUSIONS: The adjustment of antihypertensive treatment based on either ambulatory or home BP measurement led to good BP control. No significant between-group differences in BP changes were seen at the end of the study. Additional research is needed to provide more conclusive results.     

Effects of slow-release nifedipine on nighttime blood pressure

With the advent of long-acting or slow-release antihypertensive drugs, we should be aware of a fall in nighttime blood pressure (BP) as well as daytime blood pressure. In the present study, casual BPs at the physician's office as well as ambulatory BP was recorded every hour throughout 24 hours with a noninvasive automated BP monitoring device in 24 essential hypertensives treated with slow-release nifedipine. Administration of slow-release nifedipine (20-40 mg, b.i.d.) decreased not only casual BPs but also ambulatory mean BP during the whole day or daytime (6 am to 10 pm). Slow-release nifedipine at 10 mg in the morning did not affect casual BPs at the office. However, mean BP obtained by ambulatory BP monitoring during the daytime was significantly attenuated. In addition, a profound fall in mean BP amounting to more than 20 mmHg during the night in some of the patients was observed during treatment with slow-release nifedipine not only at 20-40 mg (b.i.d.) but also at 10 mg once a day. These results suggest that we have to take into consideration the possibility that long-acting hypotensive agents may cause a great fall in nighttime BP during sleep, especially in the elderly.     

White coat effect in treated and untreated patients with high office blood pressure. Relationship with pulse wave velocity and left ventricular mass index.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate in hypertensive patients whether the white coat effect is associated with target-organ damage and whether it is modified by anti-hypertensive therapy. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study we evaluated blood pressure (BP) measured in the office and by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an index of aortic stiffness, and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) in 88 subjects (aged 49 +/- 2 years) with white-coat hypertension (WCH, office BP > 140/90, daytime BP < 130/84 mmHg), 31 under antihypertensive therapy, 57 untreated, and in 115 patients with office and ambulatory hypertension (HT, aged 51 +/- 2 years, office BP > 140/90, daytime BP > 135/85), 65 under antihypertensive therapy, 50 untreated. In a longitudinal study in 15 patients with HT and in 11 patients with WCH we evaluated the influence of antihypertensive therapy (> 6 months) on office and ambulatory BP and on PWV. RESULTS: The intensity of the white coat effect (office BP-daytime BP) was greater in WCH than in HT. Taking all subjects, the white coat effect did not correlate with PWV (r = 0.08, ns) or with LVMI (r = 0.01, ns), whereas daytime BP correlated significantly with PWV (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and with LVMI (r = 0.32, p < 0.05). WCH subjects showed lower PWV and LVMI than HT subjects. Treated and untreated WCH, with similar office and daytime BP, showed similar values of PWV and LVMI. Treated and untreated HT showed similar office BP values but treated HT showed lower daytime BP and PWV values. In the longitudinal study, antihypertensive therapy significantly reduced daytime BP and PWV values in the 15 HTs, whereas in the 11 WCH it did not alter daytime BP or PWV values. CONCLUSIONS: 1. In both WCH and HT (treated and untreated) the intensity of the white coat effect does not reflect either the severity of hypertension measured by target organ damage or the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment. 2. In WCH antihypertensive therapy does not improve either ambulatory BP values or damage to target organs.     

Blood pressure on arising, morning blood pressure surge and blood pressure variability in white coat hypertensives and in matched normotensives and sustained hypertensives.

INTRODUCTION: It is still controversial whether subjects with white-coat hypertension (WCHT) exhibit higher cardiovascular risk compared to normotensive subjects (NT). In subjects with WCHT it is not known whether the abnormal blood pressure (BP) reaction in the office also occurs at other times of day, particularly on arising and immediately after waking, i.e. the times at which the majority of cardiovascular events are reported to occur. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: To evaluate with 24h ambulatory BP measurement the values of morning BP surge, BP on arising and BP variability in subjects with WCHT in comparison with age-, gender- and weight-matched normotensives (BP) and untreated sustained hypertensives (BP). RESULTS: Groups of BP, WCHT and BP were matched for age, gender and body weight: BP: n=69, age 49 +/- 7 years, 54 % female, BMI 26 +/- 1, casual BP 126/79 +/- 5/4 mmHg, daytime BP 124/80 +/- 6/6 mmHg; WCHT: n=74, age 52 +/- 8 years, 57% female, BMI 26 +/- 2, casual BP 152/95 +/- 7/7 mmHg, daytime BP 126/80 +/- 5/6 mmHg; HT: n=79, age 53 +/- 7 years, 56% female, BMI 27 +/- 2, casual BP 154/97 +/- 9/8 mmHg, daytime BP 143/89 +/- 12/10 mmHg. Of the three groups, subjects with WCHT exhibited BP on arising (121/81 +/- 13/8 mmHg) similar to that of NTs (120/80 +/- 13/9 mmHg, NS), both significantly lower than that of HTs (137/92 +/- 17/10 mmHg, p < 0.01), suggesting the absence of an alerting BP reaction in WCHT at that time. By contrast, subjects with WCHT showed higher values of systolic morning BP surge vs. NTs (25 +/- 10 vs. 22 +/- 11 mmHg, p < 0.05), both lower than that observed in hypertensives (33 +/- 11 mmHg, p < 0.01 vs. NT and WCHT) and greater daytime variability (systolic BP standard variation), i.e. 12 2 vs. 10 +/- 2 mmHg, p < 0.05, both lower than that observed in hypertensives (14 +/- 3 mmHg, p < 0.01 vs. NT and WCHT). CONCLUSIONS: Although subjects with WCHT did not show any alerting blood pressure reaction on arising, morning BP surge and BP variability were greater in these subjects than in control normotensives, although lower than sustained hypertensives. Although this is still speculative, we cannot exclude the possibility that even a slight increase in morning BP surge might in the long term constitute an additional load on the circulation that could increase cardiovascular risk in subjects with WCHT compared to matched normotensives.     

Evaluation of the Antihypertensive Effect of Barnidipine, a Dihydropyridine Calcium Entry Blocker, as Determined by the Ambulatory Blood Pressure Level Averaged for 24 h, Daytime, and Nighttime

We evaluated the effect of barnidipine, a dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, administered once daily in the morning in a dose of 5, 10, or 15 mg on ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in 34 patients (51.3 ± 9.6 years). Hypertension was diagnosed based on the clinic BP. The patients were classified into groups according to the ambulatory BP: group 1, dippers with true hypertension; group 2, nondippers with true hypertension; group 3, dippers with false hypertension; and Group 4, nondippers with false hypertension. Barnidipine reduced the clinic systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) in all groups and significantly reduced the average 24 h ambulatory BP (133.0 ± 16.5/90.7 ± 12.3 mm Hg v 119.7 ± 13.7/81.8 ± 10.3 mm Hg, P < .0001 for both SBP and DBP). Barnidipine significantly reduced the daytime ambulatory SBP in groups 1, 2, and 3, but not in group 4, and significantly reduced daytime ambulatory DBP in group 1 but not in groups 2, 3, and 4. Barnidipine significantly reduced the nighttime ambulatory SBP only in group 2 and the nighttime ambulatory DBP in groups 2 and 4. Once-a-day administration of barnidipine influenced 24 h BP on true hypertensives (the ratio of the trough to peak effect > 50%), but had minimal effect on low BP such as the nocturnal BP in dippers and the ambulatory BP in false hypertensives. These findings suggest that barnidipine can be used safely in patients with isolated clinic (“white coat”) hypertension and in those with dipping patterns of circadian BP variation whose nocturnal BP is low before treatment.