Relations of ambulatory blood pressure level and variability to left ventricular and arterial function and to left ventricular mass in normotensive and hypertensive adults

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationships between the level and variability of ambulatory blood pressure and left ventricular and arterial function. METHOD: We related 24 h ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), measures of their variability and clinic blood pressures to echocardiographic measures of left ventricle geometry and systolic function, total peripheral resistance, and the pulse pressure: stroke volume ratio as a measure of arterial stiffness in 58 normotensive and 222 unmedicated hypertensive adults. RESULTS: For hypertensive patients and for the entire population, awake and home ambulatory as well as technician-measured DBP were negatively related to left ventricle midwall fractional shortening (MWS) and to MWS as a percentage of the value predicted for end-systolic stress (afterload-corrected MWS), with inconsistent relations with SBP. Similarly, the SD and coefficient of variation of awake ambulatory DBP, but not SBP, were negatively related to both measures of left ventricle midwall function. Hypertensive patients in the lowest quintile of afterload-corrected MWS had similar physician-measured but higher ambulatory awake and home as well as technician-measured DBP, but not SBP, and higher SD of awake SBP and DBP than did those with higher afterload-corrected MWS. Ambulatory awake, home, and sleep as well as technician-measured DBP, but not SBP, were positively related to total peripheral resistance at rest whereas all components of ambulatory SBP, but not DBP, were positively related to the resting p;ulse pressure: stroke index ratio, a measure of arterial stiffness. We detected no relation between the nocturnal dip in blood pressure and any measure of left ventricular or arterial function or left ventricle geometry. Finally, left ventricle mass and relative wall thickness were related most strongly to awake and home ambulatory SBP whereas left ventricular relative wall thickness was also related to the SD of awake DBP. CONCLUSION: For this population of predominantly hypertensive unmedicated adults, ambulatory blood pressures during waking hours and at home were related to left ventricular and arterial function, the strongest relations being negative ones of DBP with left ventricular midwall function and positive ones of ambulatory DBP with peripheral resistance and ambulatory SBP with a measure of arterial stiffness. For this population the nocturnal dip of blood pressure was not related to measures either of cardiovascular function or of left ventricular structure.     

动态血压监测参数血压负荷、曲线下面积与左室肥厚的关系

目的　研究高血压患者动态血压监测参数 :血压负荷、曲线下面积与左室肥厚的关系。对象　 75例高血压病人 ,男性 51例 ,女性 2 4例 ,平均年龄 63± 8(46～ 74)岁。方法　动态血压测定 2 4h血压 ,超声心动图测定室间隔、左室后壁厚度 ,左室舒张末直径并按Devereux校正公式计算左心室重量指数 (LVMI)。结果　多元逐步回归分析显示 :收缩压、收缩压负荷 ,收缩压曲线下面积值以及夜间的舒张压、舒张压负荷、舒张压曲线下面积与LVMI有关 (P <0 0 1 )。结论　曲线下面积能较好地反映动脉血压的变化与左心室肥厚的关系。     

Relation of ambulatory blood pressure load with left ventricular geometry in untreated patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Whether ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) load is associated with left ventricular (LV) geometry was assessed in 335 patients (range 32-72 years) with stage I-II essential hypertension by performing 24-h ABP monitoring and echocardiographic examination. Of these 335 hypertensive subjects, 116 (34.5%) had normal LV geometry, 136 (40.5%) had concentric LV remodelling, 37 (11%) had eccentric LV hypertrophy and 46 (14%) had concentric LV hypertrophy according to the relative wall thickness and left ventricular mass index. Subjects with concentric LV hypertrophy had significantly increased 24-h systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and mean arterial pressure as well as increased 24-h SBP and DBP load compared to those with normal LV geometry or concentric LV remodelling while there was no difference in the above parameters in comparison with the subjects with eccentric LV hypertrophy. The incidence of patients with normal LV geometry was significantly decreasing and the incidence of patients with LV-CH was significantly increasing as the degree of ABP loads were increasing. Using multiple regression analysis models with each type of LV geometry as a dependent variable and various degree of ABP loads as independent variables, it was revealed that normal LV geometry was significantly related with normal values of 24-h SBP and DBP load (P < 0.05) while there was not any significant relation between concentric LV remodelling and 24-h SBP or DBP load values. Concentric LV hypertrophy was significantly related with increased values of both 24-h SBP and DBP load (P < 0.05) while eccentric LV hypertrophy was significantly related with increased values of 24-h DBP load only (P < 0.05). In conclusion normal LV geometry is associated with normal values of SBP and DBP load while concentric LV hypertrophy is associated with increased values of both SBP and DBP load.     

Does the reduction in systolic blood pressure alone explain the regression of left ventricular hypertrophy?

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is an important determinant of the development and regression of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertensive humans. However, comparative assessments with other BP components are scarce and generally limited in size. As part of the Progetto Ipertensione Umbria Monitoraggio Ambulatoriale (PIUMA), 743 hypertensive subjects underwent echocardiography and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring before and after an average of 3.9 years of treatment. The changes in left ventricular mass showed a significant direct association with the changes in 24-h SBP (r=0.40), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (r=0.33) and pulse pressure (PP) (r=0.35). Weaker associations were found with the changes in clinic BP (r=0.32, 0.31 and 0.16, respectively). In a multivariate linear regression analysis, the changes in 24-h SBP were the sole independent determinants of the changes in left ventricular mass (LVM) according to the following equation: percentage changes in LVM=0.73 x (percentage changes in 24-h SBP) -0.48 (P<0.0001). For any given reduction in 24-h SBP, the reduction in LVM did not show any association with the changes in DBP and PP, either clinic or ambulatory. These data indicate that SBP is the principal determinant of LVH regression in hypertensive humans.     

不同状态下血压值与左心室肥厚的相关性

分析１１５例高血压病人在不同状态下血压测定值（偶测，入院一周后偶测，亚极量运动时血压，２４ｈ动态血压测定）与超声心动图测量的左室重量的相关性，发现在各种测定值中，２４ｈ平均ＳＢＰ值与夜间血压是否下降，是判断高血压病情严重程度的２个良好指标。夜间最低收缩压＞１２０ｍｍＨｇ提示高血压病情较重、左心室肥厚明显。午间休息时血压下降与夜间血压下降水平无明显区别，可以用午间血压代替没有条件行２４ｈ血压监测病人的夜间血压。研究还证明血压在左心室肥厚发生发展过程的不同阶段所起的作用不同，轻型高血压病人，ＬＶＨ与２４ｈ平均ＳＢＰ只有微弱的相关，与ＤＢＰ无关，随着血压升高，ＳＢＰ与左室肥厚相关明显。当夜间最低收缩压＞１３０ｍｍＨｇ时，舒张压与左室肥厚也明显相关。可见不同严重程度的高血压病人收缩压和舒张压对左室肥厚的影响不一样。降低２４ｈ平均血压和恢复夜间睡眠时血压下降的正常昼夜节律是治疗高血压的目标。     

Sequential follow-up clinic and ambulatory blood pressure evaluation in a low risk population of white-coat hypertensive patients and in normotensives

BACKGROUND: In subjects with white-coat hypertension (WCH) it is unclear how ambulatory blood pressure (ABPM) progresses over time and whether they exhibit an increased cardiovascular risk. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated the transition of clinic and ABPM values in 39 clinic and ABPM normotensive subjects (NT) (clinic BP<140/90 mmHg and awake BP<130/85 mmHg, ages 43.4+/-2.6 y) and in 79 untreated subjects (47.2+/-2.4 y) with WCH (clinic BP>140/90, awake ABP<130/85 mmHg) with no other major cardiovascular risk factors. Ambulatory blood pressure was evaluated at baseline and on at least two further occasions during follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline all subjects were untreated and groups did not differ on values of metabolic parameters, BMI, left ventricular mass index, and ABPM values. Subjects were revaluated for ABPM half way through and at the end of follow-up, 35+/-3 and 86+/-4 months in NT and 49+/-4 and 90+/-4 months in WCH. Thirty-six WCH were on antihypertensive treatment (AH) after baseline until the end of follow-up (WCH-tr), whereas 43 WCH (WCH-untr) were free from AH throughout the study. In a similar way all groups showed a significant (p<0.01) progressive increase in 24-h ABPM systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) from baseline throughout the follow-up in NT (+4.9/2.1+/-0.8/0.9 mmHg), average annual increase of 0.72/0.37 mmHg/y, in WCH-tr (+ 5.0/1.2+/-1.1/1.5 mmHg), average annual increase of 0.66/0.31 mmHg/y and in WCH-untr (+5.4/3.2+/-0.9/1.1 mmHg), average annual increase of 0.74/0.39 mmHg/y. During the follow-up office SBP/DBP (mmHg) significantly rose in NT (+5.7/3.9) but was reduced in WCH-tr (-7.8/5.2) and in WCH-untr (-4.7/1.1). Development of ambulatory hypertension (daytime BP >130 and/or >85 mmHg) occurred in 15.4% (6/39) of NT, in 22.7% (8/36) of WCH-tr and in 26.1% (11/43) of WCH-untr (NS). First cardiovascular events recorded were three in subjects with WCH and none in NT. CONCLUSIONS: After 7.4 years of follow-up, both the progressive increase in ABPM and the rate of transition to ambulatory hypertension in subjects with WCH (either treated or untreated), who were selected under strict criteria were similar to that of normotensive subjects. Also there was no evidence that WCH exhibited a clear higher risk of development cardiovascular events.     

Sex, cardiac hypertrophy and diurnal blood pressure variations in essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis of a difference between men and women in the left ventricular hypertrophic response to diurnal variations of ambulatory blood pressure in essential hypertension. DESIGN: Non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and echocardiography in untreated hypertensive patients and healthy normotensive subjects. SETTING: Community-based ambulatory population in tertiary care centers. PATIENTS: Two hundred and sixty hypertensive patients and sixty-three healthy normotensive subjects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Patients with average daytime systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) falling by less than 10% during the night were defined as non-dippers, the others as dippers. RESULTS: In the hypertensive group, dippers and non-dippers did not differ, in either gender, in several covariates possibly affecting left ventricular structure, including daytime ambulatory blood pressure, prevalence of white coat hypertension, age, body mass index, family history and known duration of hypertension, funduscopic changes, diabetes, alcohol consumption and renal function. Left ventricular mass (LVM) did not differ between dippers and non-dippers in hypertensive men whilst in hypertensive women it was significantly lower in dippers than in non-dippers. This sex difference held for all quartiles of the distribution of mean daytime blood pressure. In hypertensive women there was an inverse correlation between LVM and the per cent reduction of SBP and DBP from day to night, but this relationship was absent in hypertensive men. Other indices of left ventricular structure differed between dippers and non-dippers in both genders, as did LVM. CONCLUSIONS: For any level of daytime ambulatory blood pressure, a reduction of SBP and DBP by less than 10% from day to night identifies a subset of hypertensive patients at increased risk of left ventricular hypertrophy only in the female gender. These data suggest that, compared with men, hypertensive women require a longer duration of exposure to high blood pressure levels during the 24 h to develop left ventricular hypertrophy.     

Clinic blood pressure, ambulatory blood pressure and cardiac structural alterations in nonagenarians and in centenarians

scant information is available on the alterations in cardiac structure and function characterizing very elderly people as well as on their relationships to clinic and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) values. In 106 subjects aged 95.3 ± 3.7 years (mean ± standard deviation, 89 nonagenarians and 17 centenarians) in good clinical conditions and living in the municipal house in Milan, we measured, along with standard clinical and laboratory variables, clinic BP, 24-h ambulatory BP and echocardiographic parameters. Forty-five of the recruited subjects were normotensive individuals, whereas 61 were treated hypertensive patients. Subjects with an age greater than 90 years showed clinic systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) both within the normal range, with values that for clinic SBP were slightly lower than the corresponding 24-h SBP (120.8 ± 15.9 vs 128.0 ± 16.3 mmHg) and for DBP slightly higher (69.7 ± 8.8 vs 64.9 ± 8.0 mmHg). Daytime average mean BP was slightly lower than night-time average mean BP, indicating the attenuation of the BP reduction during night-time. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was increased and significantly related to both 24-h and clinic BP values (r = 0.24, p < 0.04 and r = 0.20, p < 0.05). Thus in nonagenarians and centenarians, abnormalities in left ventricular pattern are of frequent detection and may be related both to the ageing process and to BP load.     

Comparison between casual blood pressure and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters in healthy and hypertensive adolescents

Casual blood pressure measurements were compared with mean ambulatory blood pressure values during wakefulness and sleep in 45 normotensive and 30 hypertensive adolescents of both sexes aged 10-18 years. Two sets of auscultatory casual blood pressure were obtained, one in a pediatric office setting (office blood pressure), performed by the physician, and one in the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) unit, performed by a trained nurse, prior to the initiation of ABPM (pre-ABPM blood pressure). In normotensive and hypertensive subjects of both sexes, the mean office systolic blood pressure (SBP) was lower than the mean pre-ABPM SBP, and the mean office diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was lower than the mean pre-ABPM DBP. In normotensive participants, the mean pre-ABPM SBP/DBP was lower than the mean ABPM SBP/DBP while awake, the mean ABPM SBP/DBP during sleep being lower than the mean ABPM SBP/DBP values while awake and the mean pre-ABPM SBP/DBP. No statistical difference was demonstrated between the mean office SBP and the mean ABPM SBP during sleep, the mean ABPM DBP during sleep being lower than the mean office DBP. The hypertensive adolescents presented a blood pressure profile similar to that of the normotensive group, albeit shifted upwards, with no significant difference between the mean pre-ABPM SBP and the mean ABPM SBP while awake but a higher mean pre-ABPM DBP than mean ABPM DBP while awake. This study suggests that, by evaluating the casual blood pressure in different environment/observer situations, the power of casual blood pressure to predict inadequate blood pressure control, manifested as abnormal ABPM parameters, can be enhanced. Our data indicate ABPM to be the method of choice for the early diagnosis and adequate follow-up of adolescent hypertension.     

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during antihypertensive treatment: the case of non-responder patients

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the discrepancies between casual and ambulatory blood pressure in hypertensive patients during treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were gathered intio two groups according to casual diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and antihypertensive treatment: group A (responders) with casual DBP < 90 mmHg administered one or more antihypertensive drugs and group B (non-responders) with DBP >/= 95 mmHg taking two or more antihypertensive drugs, maintained during three consecutive visits at 2-week intervals. For all of them casual blood pressure measurements, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and assessment of end-organ damage were performed. RESULTS: The difference between casual blood pressure and average 24 h ambulatory blood pressure were significantly higher for group B than those observed for group A (26 versus 7 mmHg systolic, 16 versus 5 mmHg diastolic). Thirty per cent of the patients in group B and 16% in group A had casual blood pressure more than 20 mmHg higher than awake ambulatory blood pressure, whereas 8% in group B and 20% in group A had higher values for ambulatory than for casual blood pressure. In group A 8% of patients had awake DBP higher than 95 mmHg and 8% had awake DBP 85-95 mmHg. Patients of group A with awake DBP >/= 85 mmHg were younger than those with awake DBP < 85 mmHg (41.4+/-8.8 and 52.1+/-13.4 years, respectively). In patients of group B, there was less end-organ damage in the patients with awake DBP < 85 mmHg than there was in patients with awake DBP >/= 95 mmHg (World Health Organization grade I/II-III, 6/10 and 3/20, respectively). CONCLUSION: The differences between casual and ambulatory blood pressures were higher in the 'non-responder' patients. In group A the small percentage of patients who had persistently higher ambulatory blood pressure were younger. In group B one-quarter of the patients had 'normal' ambulatory blood pressure and less end-organ damage. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring will be useful for better assessment of hypertension control in a subset of hypertensive patients.     

Enhanced blood pressure response to regular daily stress in urban hypertensive men

Twenty-eight urban untreated hypertensive men (mean age: 54 years; systolic (SBP)/diastolic (DBP) blood pressure at clinic: 148/96 mmHg] and 26 age- and sex-matched normal controls (54 years, 118/78 mmHg) were examined during normal daily activities by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. When compared with home blood pressures, clinic blood pressures were 8/10% (SBP/DBP) higher in the hypertensives, but 1/3% lower in the normotensives. The values were significantly different for both groups (P less than 0.01 for SBP; P less than 0.001 for DBP). In contrast, the blood pressures fell in a similar manner in both groups during sleep. On working days, the blood pressures during work were 10/9% higher than the corresponding home blood pressures in the hypertensives and only 3/3% higher in the normotensives. These differences were significant (P less than 0.01 for both SBP and DBP). The results show that the blood pressures of hypertensives were hyperreactive to casual daily stress. In the normotensives, left ventricular wall thickness determined by echocardiography was correlated significantly with the blood pressures during work (r = 0.5, P less than 0.05 for SBP and DBP) and at home (r = 0.4, P less than 0.05 for SBP).     

Inverse relationship between upright plasma renin activity and twenty-four hour blood pressure variability in borderline hypertension

Office, i.e. measured by the physician at rest, and 24 h ambulatory systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures, heart rate, supine and upright plasma renin activities, supine and upright aldosterone concentrations and plasma and urine sodium and potassium were measured in 61 young male subjects aged 19-25 years, including 40 normotensive subjects (office DBP less than or equal to 90 mmHg and office SBP less than or equal to 140 mmHg) and 21 borderline hypertensive subjects (non-normal blood pressures with office DBP less than or equal to 95 mmHg and office SBP less than or equal to 160 mmHg). No significant differences were found in the plasma or urine K+ or Na+, upright or supine plasma renin activity or aldosterone concentration between normotensives and borderline hypertensive subjects. No correlation was detected between plasma and urine K+ or Na+, upright and supine aldosterone concentration or supine plasma renin activity and blood pressure. In contrast, significant inverse correlations were observed between upright plasma renin activity and blood pressure. The correlations were approaching statistical significance when upright plasma renin activity was related to office SBP and office DBP (r = -0.22, P = 0.097 and r = -0.25, P = 0.049, respectively), and were more significant when plasma renin activity was related to 24 h mean DBP (r = -0.32, P = 0.013) and to SBP and DBP standard deviations (r = -0.37, P = 0.004 and r = -0.26, P = 0.04, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

高血压并发心脑靶器官损害的动态血压特征

目的探讨高血压有心脑合并症时的昼夜血压变化的规律。方法６８例高血压患者中１６例有左室肥厚，１６例有左室肥厚伴脑血管意外，１２例有脑血管意外；２４例未发现有心脑并发症作为对照。全部患者作动态血压测定。结果有并发症的三组患者以收缩压和舒张压共同升高，夜间下降率＜１０％，血压昼夜波动成为非杓型为特点。心室肥厚组日间血压和对照组无明显差异，而脑血管意外组具有清晨血压升高的特点。结论血压的昼夜波动变化与高血压患者合并症的发生有密切关系。     

老年高血压患者亚临床甲状腺功能减退与血压变异性的关系

目的探讨亚临床甲状腺功能减退(亚甲减)的老年高血压患者每日血压变异性(BPV)指标特点及与亚甲减的关系。方法共纳入260例老年高血压患者,其中129例合并亚甲减,131例甲状腺功能正常者作对照,采集患者身高、体重、诊室坐位血压、血甲状腺功能指标、空腹血糖(FBG)、糖化血红蛋白、血脂、高敏C反应蛋白、血尿酸、同形半胱氨酸等指标,同时作24 h动态血压监测。结果亚甲减组与甲功正常组比较,夜间收缩压、清晨收缩压、反杓形节律构成比更高(P<0.05),杓形节律构成比、舒张压夜间下降率更低(P<0.05)。多元逐步回归分析显示:即便排除其他因素影响,清晨收缩压仍与游离三碘甲状腺原氨酸(FT3)负相关,与促甲状腺激素(TSH)正相关;清晨舒张压与年龄负相关,与体重、TSH正相关;夜间收缩压下降率与FBG负相关,与FT3正相关;夜间舒张压下降率与FT3正相关。结论老年高血压患者BPV增大与亚甲减密切相关。     

Regression of left ventricular hypertrophy and improvement of diastolic function in hypertensive patients treated with telmisartan

OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to test whether or not the angiotensin II receptor blocker telmisartan brings about regression of left ventricular (LV) concentric hypertrophy and whether or not these changes are associated with improved diastolic filling. METHODS: An echocardiographic follow-up study was performed in 85 hypertensive patients (systolic blood pressure [SBP] >140 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure [DBP] >90 mmHg) and mild-to-moderate LV hypertrophy (LV mass index related to body surface area [LVMI] 117-150 g/m2 for men and 105-150 g/m2 for women) treated with telmisartan monotherapy 40-80 mg once daily for 1 year. Blood pressure, LVMI, left atrial (LA) volumes, and diastolic function were determined at baseline and after 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of treatment. Blood pressure was also monitored at all visits. Diastolic function was assessed by examination of transmitral inflow and pulmonary vein flow patterns. RESULTS: Telmisartan reduced blood pressure; after 12 months, the mean+/-S.D. SBP and DBP were reduced from 144+/-10 to 126+/-8 mmHg (p<0.001) and from 98+/-8 to 86+/-7 mmHg (p<0.001), respectively. The LVMI was decreased from 119+/-7 to 109+/-3 g/m2 (p<0.001) after 12 months' telmisartan treatment. All patients had diastolic dysfunction at baseline. After 12 months' telmisartan treatment, a normal pattern of transmitral inflow was present in 21% of patients. The regression of LV hypertrophy observed after 12 months was associated with increased peak early diastolic velocity/peak late diastolic velocity ratio from 0.60+/-0.18 to 0.83+/-0.20 (p<0.001), shortened isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) from 110+/-13 to 105+/-13 ms (p<0.001), and decreased deceleration time from 229+/-30 to 215+/-28 ms (p=0.002). Univariate analysis showed that shortened IVRT was related to a reduction in the LVMI and LA maximal and minimal volumes. In the multivariate analysis, the reduction in LVMI and the reduction in LA maximal and minimal volumes were independently associated with IVRT reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Telmisartan 40-80 mg is effective in LV hypertrophy regression in hypertensive patients. The reduction in LVMI due to telmisartan monotherapy was associated with a significant improvement of diastolic filling parameters and with a significant reduction of LA volumes.     

替米沙坦对老年高血压患者血压晨峰与心脏重构的影响

目的：探讨替米沙坦对老年高血压患者血压晨峰现象及心脏重构的影响。方法：120例老年高血压患者根据血压晨峰是否超过23.58mmHg分为晨峰组（60例）与非晨峰组（60例）,均予以替米沙坦80～160mg/d治疗6月,治疗前后行动态血压、心脏超声检查。结果：与血压非晨峰组比较,晨峰组左室肥厚发生率（36.7%比51.6%）、左房内径扩大率（26.7%比41.7%）明显升高（P均〈0.01）;与治疗前比较,晨峰组经替米沙坦治疗6月后收缩压（SBP）差值[（32.7±4.2）mmHg比（21.2±6.7）mmHg]、舒张压（DBP）差值[（20.3±3.6）mmHg比（13.5±7.4）mmHg]明显降低（P〈0.01）,而非晨峰组SBP、DBP差值较治疗前无明显降低（P〉0.05）,两组替米沙坦治疗6月后左室重量指数均明显降低（P〈0.05）。结论：老年高血压患者血压晨峰程度与心脏重构密切相关,替米沙坦能有效控制老年高血压患者晨峰现象,逆转左室肥厚。     

Sex difference in response of blood pressure to calcium antagonism in the treatment of moderate-to-severe hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The pressor response to examination in the clinic setting is called the 'white coat effect' (WCE). This response may be a confounder when investigators use clinic blood pressure as a measure of response to antihypertensive therapy. OBJECTIVE:;To study the effect of the pressor response by evaluating the sex-specific effect of treatment with calcium antagonism on blood pressure measured in the clinic and by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). METHODS: Untreated hypertensive subjects (n=39) with seated clinic diastolic blood pressures (DBP) > or = 100 and < or = 130mmHg were studied. Same-day clinic systolic blood pressure (SBP) and ambulatory SBP were obtained after 1 week of placebo, and after 1 month of treatment with either nifedipine or verapamil in a randomized, blinded, parallel trial. RESULTS: With placebo, women s average SBP was 18+/-;4mmHg lower than clinic SBP. By contrast, men s average SBP with placebo was 4+/-15mmHg lower than clinic SBP. There was a significantly greater reduction in clinic SBP for women than there was for men after 1 month of treatment (by 33+/-13 versus 18+/-18mmHg, P<0.005). However, reduction in ambulatory SBP after 1 month was the same for both sexes (20+/-11 versus 19+/-12mmHg). CONCLUSIONS: In this study of moderate-to-severe hypertensives, the large WCE measured for women, which markedly diminished with treatment, accounts for the observed sex difference in response of clinic SBP to calcium antagonism. By contrast, with ABPM there was an equivalent response to treatment for both sexes. Use of ABPM could be a valuable means of eliminating the WCE as a confounder in clinical research.     

Reproducibility of nurse-measured, exercise and ambulatory blood pressure and echocardiographic left ventricular mass in borderline hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term reproducibility of four diagnostic tests: resting blood pressure, exercise blood pressure, non-invasive daytime ambulatory blood pressure and echocardiographic left ventricular mass. DESIGN: Blinded, prospective test-retest (reliability) study. SETTING: Hypertension research units in two teaching hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Six normal volunteers and 22 patients with untreated borderline to mild hypertension, mean age 44 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The intraclass correlation coefficient (RI) and standard deviation of the difference (SDD) between visits. MAIN RESULTS: The mean blood pressures and left ventricular mass did not differ between visits. Concordance between visits reached RI = 0.86 systolic/0.66 diastolic for ambulatory blood pressure and RI = 0.85 systolic/0.64 diastolic for nurse-measured random-zero sphygmomanometer resting blood pressure. The respective variabilities were SDD = 9/8 and 8/8 mmHg. Submaximal exercise systolic blood pressure (SBP) and echo left ventricular mass showed excellent reliability. Echo left ventricular mass and resting SBP or ambulatory SBP were significantly more reproducible than resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) or ambulatory DBP. CONCLUSIONS: Despite averaging many readings within each day, clinically important between-visit variations in ambulatory blood pressure remained. The between-visit variability of daytime ambulatory blood pressure was similar to that of resting blood pressure when carefully measured by a research nurse. The echo left ventricular mass appears to be more reproducible over the short term than the current diagnostic standard for hypertension, the resting DBP.     

舒张压达到3级的青年高血压患者心脏结构和功能改变

目的 探究青年高血压患者中,单纯舒张压达到3级的高血压（DBP）和合并收缩压达到3级的高血压（DBP+SBP）两种类型的高血压对心脏结构和功能的影响情况。 方法 收集健康对照组（CON）93例、DBP组86例、DBP+SBP组101例,利用超声心动图检测各组的心脏结构、功能,计算左心室质量分数（LVMI）和相对室壁厚度（RWT）,比较三组人群心脏结构和功能的差异。 结果 DBP组、DBP+SBP组患者体质量指数（BMI）、吸烟史、家族史均比CON组高（均P<0.05）,而2组间均无明显差异。DBP组的收缩压、舒张压、平均动脉压均高于CON组（均P<0.01）。而DBP+SBP组的收缩压、平均动脉压均高于DBP组（均P<0.01）。但DBP组与DBP+SBP组中的舒张压未见明显差异。3组中代表心脏结构的左室短轴横径、左室短轴前后径、右室前后径、右室横径、左房横径、右房横径均无明显差异。但与CON组相比,DBP组与DBP+SBP组的左房前后径均增加（均P<0.05）,而后两者组间无明显差异。代表心脏外大血管结构主动脉内径、肺动脉内径也无明显差异。三组中的射血分数（EF）、短轴缩短率（FS）均无明显差异。与CON组相比,DBP 组和DBP+SBP组的E/A值均降低（均P<0.05）。但后2组组间无明显差异。 结论 舒张压达到3级的青年高血压患者,可出现左心室肥厚、左心房前后径增加等结构改变,同时左心室的舒张能力显著下降。而是否合并收缩压升高对上述改变无明显影响。     

Left ventricular hypertrophy in treated hypertensive patients with good blood pressure control outside the clinic,but poor clinic blood pressure control

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in treated patients with good blood pressure (BP) control during multiple home BP (HBP) measurements and during 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), but with unsatisfactory BP control in the clinic. These patients were compared with treated hypertensives whose BP was well controlled under the three circumstances. METHODS: Seventy-two treated consecutive patients (group I, age 56 +/- 10 years) with clinic BP values > or = 140/90 mmHg, and a difference between clinic and self-measured HBP > 10 mmHg for diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and/or > 20 mmHg for systolic blood pressure (SBP), underwent the following procedures: (1) clinic BP measurement; (2) routine diagnostic work-up; (3) HBP monitoring; (4) 24-h ABPM; (5) echocardiography. Thirty-five hypertensive patients with satisfactory BP control according to clinic (< 140/90 mmHg), HBP (< or = 131/82 mmHg) and ABP criteria (< or = 125/79 mmHg) were included as the control group (group II, age 55 +/- 9 years). RESULTS: In group I, 33 subjects out of the 72 (46%) with clinic BP > 140/90 mmHg had BP values controlled outside the clinic (23 according to HBP criteria and 22 according to ABP criteria). The prevalence of LVH (LV mass index > 134 g/m2 in men and > 110 g/m2 in women) was significantly higher in these patients (15.1 versus 2.8%, P < 0.01) than in group II (BP also controlled in the clinic), despite the fact that HBP and ABP were reduced to similar levels in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide evidence that treated hypertensive patients with good BP control at home or during ambulatory monitoring, but incomplete BP control in the clinic, have more pronounced cardiac alterations than patients with both clinic and out of the clinic BP control. This finding offers a new piece of information about the diagnostic value of BP measurement in the clinic to assess BP control during antihypertensive treatment.