经鼻持续性气道正压对阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者呼吸中枢驱动性的影响

为了解经鼻持续性气道正压（ｎＣＰＡＰ）通气治疗对阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）患者呼吸中枢驱动性的影响，研究了２０例无二氧化碳（ＣＯ＿２）储留的ＯＳＡＳ患者（Ｏ组）及２０例单纯鼾症患者（Ｓ组）夜间睡眠前后呼吸方式及口腔阻断压（Ｐ＿（０．１））的改变，并观察了ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗对ＯＳＡＳ，患者呼吸方式及Ｐ＿（０．１）的影响。结果显示：Ｏ组患者睡前的Ｐ＿（０．１）、呼吸频率、有效吸气阻抗明显高于Ｓ组，潮气量则显著低于Ｓ组。ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗组患者经一夜睡眠后的Ｐ＿（０．１）、每分通气量、潮气量、呼吸频率等较睡前显著增高。经ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗后Ｏ组的呼吸紊乱指数较治疗前明显降低，夜间最低氧饱和度明显提高，Ｐ＿（０．１）较睡前则无明显升高。提示ＯＳＡＳ患者睡前的呼吸中枢驱动性高于单纯鼾症患者，其呼吸形式为浅快呼吸；经过一夜睡眠后，其呼吸中枢驱动水平较睡前明显增高，呼吸形式更为浅快；ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗可以有效地解除睡眠呼吸暂停及其继发的低氧血症，从而逆转睡眠前后呼吸方式和呼吸中枢驱动性的改变。     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者持续正压通气治疗前后自主神经 …

目的 研究阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（ＯＳＡ）患者夜间睡眠时自主神经功能的状态，以及有效的持续正压通气治疗对自主神经张力的影响。方法 对５６例重度ＯＳＡ患者持续正压通气（ＣＰＡＰ）治疗前和治疗中进行夜间７小时多导睡眠图（ＰＳＧ）及动态心电图监测，另择３０名正常受试者作为对照。采用心率功率谱分析法（ＨＲＰＳＡ）定量分析ＯＳＡ患者治疗前后夜间自主神经功能的变化。结果 ＯＳＡ组夜间睡眠时伴随着反复的呼吸暂停和低     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征患者持续正压通气治疗前后认知功能的研究

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征 (ＯＳＡＳ)是以睡眠结构紊乱和反复发作低氧血症为特征的一种睡眠障碍性疾病 ,其脑功能损害以认知功能障碍最常见。经鼻罩持续气道内正压(ｎＣＰＡＰ)通气治疗ＯＳＡＳ是目前最佳选择。本研究应用ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗ＯＳＡＳ患者 ,观察其治疗前、后认知功能的变化。对象与方法　对 132例打鼾患者进行夜间 7ｈ多导睡眠图 (ＰＳＧ)监测。筛选出 2 0例中、重症患者 [呼吸紊乱指数 (呼吸暂停 /低通气指数 ,ＡＨＩ) >2 0 ],其中男 16例 ,女 4例。年龄 48～ 6 9岁。符合ＯＳＡＳ的诊断标准 :睡眠呼吸暂停为睡眠时鼻和口气流…     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征与心律失常

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）对心血管功能的影响越来越引起人们的关注。为探讨ＯＳＡＳ与心律失常的关系，我们对２１２例打鼾者行夜间多导睡眠图监测（ＰＳＧ），呼吸紊乱指数（ＡＨＩ）≥５为ＯＳＡＳ。分析ＰＳＧ心电导联。结果：１４６例病人诊断为ＯＳＡＳ，其中８２例ＯＳＡＳ病人发生心律失常（５６．２％），包括早搏或心动过速、传导阻滞或二者均有。采用经鼻持续气道内正压呼吸（ｎＣ－ＰＡＰ）７小时治疗严重的ＯＳＡＳ合并心律失常１９例，其中治疗后心律失常完全消失者１４例（７３．７％）。ＯＳＡＳ病人的心律失常发生率较非ＯＳＡＳ高（χ２＝１７．２８，Ｐ＜０．０００１）。心律失常发生率与低氧及夜间呼吸暂停严重程度呈正相关。ｎＣＰＡＰ有效治疗呼吸暂停的同时可逆转或改善心律失常。作者认为，低氧血症很可能是ＯＳＡＳ者心律失常的重要原因之一。     

经鼻持续气道内正压通气与咽手术治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停 …

目的 对比观察经鼻持续气道内正压通气（ＣＰＡＰ）与悬雍垂腭咽成形术（ＵＰＰＰ）治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）的疗效及对睡眠呼吸参数的影响，评价二者在ＯＳＡＳ治疗中的地位。方法 ６０例ＯＳＡＳ患者，ＣＰＡＰ治疗组３６例，手术治疗组２４例，治疗前后作整夜多导睡眠图（ＰＳＧ）监测。结果 两线呼吸紊乱指数减少，夜间低氧血症改善，ＣＰＡＰ组患者优于手术组（Ｐ〈０．０１），有效率ＣＰＡＰ组为９７％。     

睡眠呼吸暂停综合征持续气道内正压通气治疗依从性的研究

本组研究观察睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）患者应用经鼻持续气道内正压通气（ｎＣＰＡＰ）治疗后不能耐受或不能改善呼吸暂停次数以及低氧血症,改用经鼻双水平气道正压通气（ｎＢｉＰＡＰ）再过渡到ｎＣＰＡＰ依从性治疗的情况。对象与方法１．对象：经全夜多导睡眠图（ＰＳＧ）（明思公司ＳＷ－ＳＭ２０００Ｃ）监测确诊为ＯＳＡＳ患者１１０例,其中２５例接受ＣＰＡＰ治疗,男２０例,女５例,年龄３８－６９岁。肥胖性低通气综合征（ＯＨＳ）［１］患者８例,男６例,女２例,年龄４５～７１岁。身高１５０－１７６ｃｍ;体重９８－…     

睡眠呼吸暂停与胃食管反流的关系及持续正压通气的疗效

目的 探讨阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停与胃食管反流的关系及经鼻持续气道正压通气（ｎＣＰＡＰ）的疗效。方法对１６例临床上同时有睡眠鼾、憋气、白天嗜睡及夜间反酸、烧心的患者进行了食管ＰＨ、压力及多导睡眠图的同步监测（对照期），并用ｎＣＰＡＰ治疗（ｎＣＰＡＰ期。结果 １６例中有９例同时合并有阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停及胃食管反流，夜间胃食管反流发生之前常伴有吞咽支作（５１．４％）、大的躯体活动（１６．８％）、醒觉（２９．     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者睡眠时高血压的发生

目的明确阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）患者清醒及睡眠时血压变化情况及对其影响的相关因素。方法１３例ＯＳＡＳ患者在桡动脉内留置导管监测血压并同步进行夜间睡眠多导生理仪连续记录，部分患者观察吸氧或经鼻（面）罩持续正压通气（ＮＣＰＡＰ）的治疗效果。结果（１）ＯＳＡＳ患者白天高血压发生率为４６％（６／１３）；白天无高血压的患者夜间一过性高血压发生率为８６％（６／７）；（２）ＯＳＡＳ患者夜间血压增高与低氧血症和呼吸暂停时间有关，与呼吸暂停指数（ＡＩ）无相关性（Ｐ＞０．０５）；（３）２例ＯＳＡＳ患者经吸氧治疗后，夜间血压波动仍存在，高血压未得到纠正；４例ＯＳＡＳ患者经ＮＣＰＡＰ治疗后，夜间血压波动消失。结论白天无高血压的ＯＳＡＳ患者夜间可反复出现一过性血压增高；ＯＳＡＳ患者夜间血压增高与低氧血症、呼吸暂停时间有关，但低氧血症不是引起夜间血压增高的主要因素；单纯吸氧不能纠正ＯＳＡＳ患者夜间血压增高，ＮＣＰＡＰ是纠正ＯＳＡＳ患者夜间血压增高的较好方法。     

经鼻持续气道内正压通气与咽手术治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征对比观察

目的对比观察经鼻持续气道内正压通气（ＣＰＡＰ）与悬雍垂腭咽成形术（ＵＰＰＰ）治疗阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停综合征（ＯＳＡＳ）的疗效及对睡眠呼吸参数的影响，评价二者在ＯＳＡＳ治疗中的地位。方法６０例ＯＳＡＳ患者，ＣＰＡＰ治疗组３６例，手术治疗组２４例。治疗前后作整夜多导睡眠图（ＰＳＧ）监测。结果两组呼吸紊乱指数减少，夜间低氧血症改善，ＣＰＡＰ组患者优于手术组（Ｐ＜０．０１）。有效率ＣＰＡＰ组为９７％，手术组为４６％（Ｐ＜０．０１），最长暂停时间ＣＰＡＰ组缩短，手术组改变不显著，１０例延长。结论ＣＰＡＰ疗效肯定，优于ＵＰＰＰ，适应证广，可作为ＯＳＡＳ首选治疗     

阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停患者持续正压通气治疗前后自主神经系统功能的研究

目的研究阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（ＯＳＡ）患者夜间睡眠时自主神经功能的状态，以及有效的持续正压通气治疗对自主神经张力的影响。方法对５６例重度ＯＳＡ患者持续正压通气（ＣＰＡＰ）治疗前和治疗中进行夜间７小时多导睡眠图（ＰＳＧ）及动态心电图监测，另择３０名正常受试者作为对照。采用心率功率谱分析法（ＨＲＰＳＡ）定量分析ＯＳＡ患者治疗前后夜间自主神经功能的变化。结果ＯＳＡ组夜间睡眠时伴随着反复的呼吸暂停和低氧血症，低频（ＬＦ）及高频（ＨＦ）值逐渐增高，与对照组比较差异有显著性（ＬＦ为１３８３±３０５∶１２５±６４，Ｐ＜０．００１；ＨＦ为６６２±１９０∶１６３±７８，Ｐ＜０．００１），表明交感神经和副交感神经张力均明显增高。夜间平均ＬＦ／ＨＦ比率在较高水平（２１１±１０１），与对照组（０８７±０６４）比较差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０５），说明以交感神经张力增加更为显著。经过有效的ＣＰＡＰ治疗，ＯＳＡ患者ＬＦ（２２１±８１）、ＨＦ（２２１±１０８）明显降低（Ｐ＜０．００１）。结论ＯＳＡ患者夜间有自主神经功能紊乱。针对ＯＳＡ的有效治疗可以改善自主神经的异常活动     

Co-occurrence of hypercalciuria and hypouricaemia in type 2 diabetic patients

The relationship between the urinary excretion of calcium (Ca2+) and uric acid was investigated in 151 Type 2 diabetic patients and 48 normal subjects. In the diabetic patients, uric acid clearance/creatinine clearance (Clurate/Clcr) was higher and the serum level of uric acid was lower than in the normal subjects (Clurate/Clcr: 10.9 +/- 5.8 vs 8.1 +/- 2.6%, p less than 0.001; serum uric acid: 3.4 +/- 86 vs 357 +/- 89 mumol l-1, p less than 0.001). Calcium clearance/Clcr (Clca/Clcr) also increased in the diabetic patients, as did urinary excretion rate, but the serum Ca2+ level was not different to normal control subjects (Clca/Clcr: 2.29 +/- 1.59 vs 1.56 +/- 0.98%, p less than 0.001; Ca2+ excretion rate: 2.24 +/- 1.67 vs 1.63 +/- 1.11 mmol day-1, p less than 0.01; serum Ca2+ level: 2.34 +/- 0.11 vs 2.33 +/- 0.08 mmol l-1). In the diabetic patients, Clcr positively and the serum uric acid negatively correlated with the urinary excretion of Ca2+ (p less than 0.001 for both correlations in the multivariate regression analysis). These data suggest that the diabetic patients have increased fractional excretion of both Ca2+ and uric acid.     

Diurnal and nocturnal diuresis and natriuresis in obstructive sleep apnea. Effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy.

Excessive nocturnal diuresis and natriuresis have been reported in patients with sleep apnea. The mechanisms responsible for these alternations in nocturnal renal function have not been clearly identified. To gain further insight into this matter, we studied 12 patients (one woman) with a mean +/- SD age of 50 +/- 9 yr and body mass index of 36.9 +/- 8.6 kg/m2. Polysomnography showed in all a sleep apnea syndrome with an apnea-hyponea index (AHI) of 81.3 +/- 41.7. Treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) resulted in an AHI of 19.4 +/- 13.7 and in normalization of sleep characteristics. Diurnal renal function was normal in all subjects. Although untreated, patients showed an abolition of the well-known decrease in diuresis and natriuresis during the night (diurnal and nocturnal diuresis 56.3 +/- 26.8 and 77.2 +/- 33.4 ml/h, respectively, p = NS; diurnal and nocturnal fractional urinary Na+ excretion 0.42 +/- 0.09 and 0.70 +/- 0.55 ml/100 ml glomerular filtration [GF], respectively, p = NS). Results of nocturnal studies under nCPAP therapy showed a significant decrease in diuresis and natriuresis (nocturnal diuresis before and under nCPAP, respectively: 90.4 +/- 27.3 and 70.6 +/- 25.1 ml/h, p less than 0.02; nocturnal fractional urinary sodium excretion before and under nCPAP, respectively: 0.76 +/- 0.53 and 0.44 +/- 0.37 ml/100 ml GF, p less than 0.03). Morning blood levels of renin, aldosterone, antidiuretic hormone, epinephrine, and atrial natriuretic factor showed no significant difference before and under nCPAP, whereas norepinephrine significantly decreased from 309.5 +/- 104.2 before to 230.4 +/- 88.4 pg/ml under nCPAP (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Intermittent elevation of serum urate and 24-hour urinary uric acid excretion

OBJECTIVES: Serum urate concentrations fluctuate throughout the day, and may be subject to variation with time. However, monthly variation of urinary uric acid excretion has not been investigated. This prompted us to investigate serum urate and 24-h urinary uric acid excretion in healthy men. METHODS: Serum urate and creatinine and 24-h urinary uric acid and creatinine were measured at monthly intervals throughout a 12-month period in 12 healthy men (aged 23-61 yr) from July 2002 to June 2003. RESULTS: The mean age of the 12 healthy men was 35.3+/-10.5 yr (median 33, range 23-61), and they had mean serum urate concentration 7.1+/-1.1 mg/dl (range 4.6-10.4), mean serum creatinine 1.0+/-0.1 mg/dl (range 0.8-1.3) and mean 24-h urinary uric acid excretion 651+/-189 mg/day/1.73 m(2) (median 623, range 389-1565). Approximately 20.1 and 20.7% of the measurements displayed above normal serum urate level and daily urinary uric acid excretion of more than 800 mg, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented here demonstrate individual variations in serum urate levels and 24-h urinary uric acid excretions in healthy men with serial measurement. Transient hyperuricaemia and hyperuricosuria are more common than expected, and both transitory and monthly variations are important factors to consider when evaluating the influence of other factors upon serum urate levels and urinary uric acid excretion. Further studies are needed to confirm these results using larger populations.     

Urinary excretion of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate in children of different ages.

The urinary excretion of cyclic AMP was investigated in 97 healthy children, 3 months to 16 years old. When the excretion was expressed as mumol/24 h an increase with age (r = 0.693, P less than 0.001) and an increase with body weight (r = 0.700, P less than 0.001) were found to be quite similar. In relation to surface area, the average excretion for children up to 91/2 years old was 4.45 +/- 1.71 mumol/m2 in constrast with 2.22 +/- 0.66 mumol/m2 in older children (P less than 0.001). The decline appears to be associated with approaching puberty. When cAMP excretion was related to urinary creatinine, an inverse correlation with age was found (r = -0.772, P less than 0.001). In the youngest category, 3 months to 4 years old, the ratio was 9.26 +/- 1.49 mumol/g creatinine vs 4.67 +/- 1.05 mumol/g creatinine in the age group 12 to 16 years old (P less than 0.001), which compares closely with the normal adult average of 4.34 +/- 1.25 mumol/g creatinine found in our previous study. Throughout there was no evidence of sex differentiation.     

Urinary uric acid:creatinine ratio, serum erythropoietin, and blood 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

A noninvasive, inexpensive method of excluding significant sleep-associated hypoxemia would be desirable for patients being investigated and treated for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Sixty-eight such patients provided specimens before and after sleep studies for estimation of urinary uric acid:creatinine ratio (UA:Cr), serum erythropoietin (EPO), and blood 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG). Mean (SD) morning 2,3-DPG was higher in 26 patients with overnight hypoxemia than in 42 normoxemic patients (2.54 [0.46] versus 2.24 [0.44] mmol/L; p = 0.01). Neither overnight change nor absolute values of serum EPO or urinary UA:Cr were significantly different between hypoxemic and normoxemic groups. There was a diurnal variation in serum EPO in normoxemic patients (P.M. EPO = 14.8 [7.1] mU/ml; A.M. EPO = 10.7 [7.1] mU/ml; p less than 0.05) but not in hypoxemic patients. Eighteen hypoxemic patients were restudied after using nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) for at least 4 wk. Seven normoxemic patients not using nCPAP were restudied after a similar time. There were no significant differences between pretreatment and posttreatment nights in absolute values or percentage overnight change of blood 2,3-DPG or serum EPO in either group. In the hypoxemic (nCPAP) group, overnight change in urinary UA:Cr was lower on the second night (p = 0.04); there was no significant change in the control group. We conclude that although urinary UA:Cr, serum EPO, and 2,3-DPG may be physiologically related to hypoxemia, none of these measures can be used to predict accurately the presence of moderate nocturnal hypoxemia in patients with OSA or in monitoring the effect of their therapy.     

Studies on the impaired metabolism of uric acid in obese subjects: marked reduction of renal urate excretion and its improvement by a low-calorie diet

Uric acid metabolism was investigated in 27 overweight subjects, 11 men (176 +/- 30 percent of ideal body weight) and 16 women (169 +/- 20 percent of ideal body weight). They were all hospitalized and treated with low-calorie diets (1,500-800 kcal/day) with gradual reduction of total calorie intake; exercise therapy (walking, and riding a bicycle ergometer) was added to this regimen afterwards. On admission, serum levels of uric acid were significantly elevated to 9.2 +/- 1.9 mg/dl in males (control 5.1 +/- 0.8 mg/dl) (P less than 0.001) and 6.8 +/- 1.9 mg/dl in females (control 4.4 +/- 1.0 mg/dl) (P less than 0.001), while the ratios (percentages) of uric acid clearance (CuA) to creatinine clearance (Ccr) were significantly reduced to 4.0 +/- 2.1 percent in males (control 10.8 +/- 2.2 percent) (P less than 0.001) and 5.2 +/- 3.1 percent in females (control 11.8 +/- 2.9 percent) (P less than 0.001). Urinary urate excretions were also lower in obese subjects than in controls. These data suggest that hyperuricemia in obese people is mainly attributed to an impaired renal clearance of uric acid rather than overproduction. In the course of weight reduction by a low-calorie diet, CuA/Ccr ratios gradually rose up to almost normal levels and serum levels of uric acid fell without significant changes in creatinine clearance. This increase of CuA/Ccr ratio was also preserved after starting exercise therapy. The normalization of urate excretion was observed even at the phase when their body weight was not fully reduced. Although the underlying mechanism of the impaired urate excretion in obese patients and its improvement during weight reduction is as yet unclear, hyperuricemia associated with obesity can be treated very well only with appropriate diet therapy and in most cases there is no need for drug therapy.     

The relationship between obesity and transforming growth factor beta on renal damage in essential hypertension

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of obesity on renal functions and the possible relationship between TGF-beta1 and obesity in hypertensive patients. Seventy newly diagnosed, hypertensive patients (male/female 36/34, aged 45.0 +/- 8.0 years) and 30 (male/female 17/13, aged 41.8 +/- 7.7 years) normotensive controls were included. Patients in both groups were analyzed for serum levels of glucose, creatinine, uric acid, lipids, and TGF-beta1. A 24-hour urine sample was also obtained; creatinine clearance rate and urinary albumin excretion (UEA) were investigated. TGF-beta1 levels were significantly higher (40.7 +/- 13.6 versus 34.2 +/- 12.1 pg/mL, P = 0.02), and creatinine clearance was significantly lower in patients compared with controls (98.9 +/- 25.5 versus 124.5 +/- 23.1 mL/min. per. 1.73 m(2), P = 0.001). Serum TGF-beta1 levels (45.2 +/- 14 versis 38.0 +/- 12.8 pg/mL, P = 0.03), creatinine clearance rates (109.8 29.9 versus 93.0 +/- 20.8 mL/min. per. 1.73 m(2), P = 0.001), and urinary albumin excretion (55.7 +/- 62.0 versus 12.7 +/- 12.6 mg/24 h, P = 0.002) were higher in obese hypertensive patients than in nonobese patients. In hypertensive patients, TGF-beta1 levels correlated with body mass index (r = 0.296, P = 0.01) and creatinine clearance (r = 0.238, P = 0.04). The results suggest that increased body mass index is associated with increased creatinine clearance, urinary albumin excretion, and TGF-beta1 levels in essential hypertension. In addition, TGF-beta1 is positively correlated with body mass index and creatinine clearance in patients with essential hypertension.     

Uric acid excretion: quantitative assessment from spot, midmorning serum and urine samples.

Uric acid excretion can be measured in milligrams of urinary uric acid per decilitre of glomerular filtrate by obtaining the product of urinary uric acid and serum creatinine concentrations and dividing by the urine creatinine (all concentrations in mg/dL). In 29 normal adult men, the excretion rate in spot, midmorning samples was 0.4 +/- 0.1 (SD) mg of uric acid per decilitre of glomerular filtrate. Eight of 36 untreated gouty men excreted acid at a rate more than three standard deviations above normal. Excretion of uric acid is conveniently and physiologically assessed by this simple method.     

Influence of age and dose on the end-organ responses to atrial natriuretic peptide in humans.

To test the hypothesis that age differentially affects the natriuretic, hemodynamic, and humoral response to exogenous ANP, we studied seven young (Y, 20 to 39 years) and five old (O, 65 to 83 years) healthy, normotensive, nonobese men during infusion of synthetic human ANP1,28 at two different rates: 1) 0.05 microgram/kg/min (high dose) for 1 h and 2) 0.005 microgram/kg/min (low dose) for 1 h. Compared to young, the old had higher basal ANP levels (O = 142 +/- 41 v Y = 29 +/- 4 pmol/L, P less than .025), achieved higher plasma levels with low-dose infusion (O = 327 +/- 24 v Y = 155 +/- 37 pmol/L, P less than .001) and had a longer ANP half-life (O = 7.8 +/- 0.6 v Y = 4.3 +/- 0.6 min, P less than .001), suggesting decreased catabolism in the old compared to the young. Despite these age-related differences in ANP levels, there was no difference in urinary sodium or cyclic GMP excretion. After termination of the low-dose infusion, plasma ANP and urinary cGMP promptly returned to baseline levels. Despite this, a sustained natriuresis (2-fold above control) was observed for 3 h in both groups. Low-dose infusion was associated with sustained suppression of aldosterone with minimal hemodynamic changes. During high-dose infusions there was no difference in natriuresis or peak ANP levels between the two groups (O = 1299 +/- 93 v Y = 1140 +/- 54 pmol/L). In contrast to the low-dose infusion, the high-dose infusion produced a transient natriuresis lasting only for the duration of the infusion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The frequency of combined target organ damage and the beneficial effect of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in never treated mild-to-moderate hypertensive patients

The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of target organ damage (TOD) and the beneficial properties of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for detecting patients who are at high risk for TOD and cardiovascular disease in never treated mild-to-moderate hypertension. Sixty-seven patients (28 males and 39 females, mean age, 49.6 +/- 9.5 years) were divided into two groups, dippers (group I, n = 43) and nondippers (group II, n = 24), according to nocturnal blood pressure (BP) reduction of less than 10%. The groups were compared with respect to demographic and laboratory data and the signs of TOD (microalbuminuria, left ventricular hypertrophy, and retinopathy). We also tested the relationship between ABPM and clinic BP findings with TOD. Group I had significantly lower values than group II for serum fibrinogen (0.28 +/- 0.06 versus 0.32 +/- 0.06 g/L, P = 0.02), uric acid (0.18 +/- 0.05 versus 0.25 +/- 0.11 mmo/L, P = 0.01), urinary sodium excretion (133.7 +/- 45.2 versus 161.8 +/- 52.2 mmol/L, P = 0.02), urinary albumin excretion (17.5 +/- 14.2 versus 31.3 +/- 19.7 mg/24-h, P = 0.001), left ventricular mass index (111.8 +/- 31.0 versus 128.7 +/- 36.6 g/m(2), P = 0.05), and the prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy (51% versus 83%, P = 0.01). The frequency of the combination of all three signs of TOD (microalbuminuria, left ventricular hypertrophy, and hypertensive retinopathy) was higher in nondippers than in dippers (71.4% versus 30%, P = 0.04). We suggest ABPM may provide clinical information to detect patients prone to develop cardiovascular risks and TOD in newly diagnosed mild-to-moderate hypertension.