Estimation of base blood pressure by using a new device in the outpatient clinic.

Direct measurement of intra-arterial blood pressure (BP) for 24-h provides approximately 100,000 values that vary enormously, but each (BPi) can be expressed by the equation BPi = BP0 + DeltaBPi (BP0, base BP; DeltaBPi, BP increment, i=1, 2, ..., 100 x 10(3)). About 20% of outpatients with hypertension exhibit white-coat hypertension (WCH). In such patients, DeltaBPc (i = c; c, time at the clinic) is surmised to be large. A method for explaining the physiological factors in DeltaBPc and the estimation of base BP in the outpatient clinic is important. This study addresses this issue. A total of 293 subjects were divided into four groups: 1) WCH group, 45 individuals (office BP > or = 140/90 mmHg and 24-h indirect BP < 125/80 mmHg); 2) normotensive (NT) group, 84 controls matched for age and sex; 3) WHO-I group, 95 hypertensive patients with WHO stage I (office BP > or = 140/90 mmHg and 24-h BP > or = 125/80 mmHg); and 4) WHO-II group, 69 hypertensive patients with WHO stage II. Their BPc and heart rate (HR; HRc, clinic HR) values were measured by a BP-ECG monitoring device in the outpatient clinic. Power-spectral analysis was used to obtain the ratio between the low-frequency component (LF) and high-frequency component (HF) of ECG-RR variability (LF/HF = LH). Twenty-four-hour indirect BP (and BP0) and base HR (HR0) were measured by a portable device (TM2425) at 30-min intervals. Then, DeltaBPc (= BPc - BP0) was estimated by performing linear multivariate analysis applying the model equation DeltaBPc = (BPc -alphaLH)(1-betaHR0/HRc) + epsilon to the above variables (alpha and beta, constant values; epsilon, error). This model equation made it possible to estimate BP0 (and DeltaBPc) with a high coefficient of correlation (r > or = 0.85, mean of error less than 0.82 +/- 5.9 mmHg). The predictive accuracy for discrimination between WCH and sustained hypertension (WHO-I and WHO-II groups) by this equation was 88%. The new DeltaBP-estimation device (BP-ECG monitor) enabled us to infer BP0 and is therefore useful in estimating WCH in the outpatient clinic.     

Behavioral treatment for chronic insomnia]

The efficacy of non-pharmacological intervention for chronic insomnia has been proven by several meta-analytic reviews, an NIH report, an American Academy of Sleep Medicine review, and numerous clinical trials. Behavior therapy for chronic insomnia consists of relaxation, stimulus control, sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring and sleep hygiene education, which has produced reliable and durable changes in total sleep time, sleep onset latency, number and duration of awakening. These studies also showed that the post-treatment effect of behavior therapy is equal to that of hypnotic therapy, and that these effects were maintained for 6 months on follow-up assessment. Elderly insomniac patients would gain considerable benefit from behavioral treatments because there are no adverse physical effects as there are from pharmacological therapy. The authors present the basic theory, techniques of behavior therapy for insomnia, and the results of two important key meta-analytic reviews. Any behavioral approach such as convenient education, self-care enhancement by bibliotherapy, and individual face-to-face counseling, seem to be fruitful not only for American but also Japanese insomnia patients. Nonetheless, there are no currently actual intervention studies using behavior therapy in Japan. We have discussed the methodology of intervention study and published a behavioral self-help manual for people with sleep problems. Development of a behavioral approach to chronic insomnia seemed to be very beneficial and a useful contribution to mental health services.