[Study of representative periods of day-time and night-time levels of blood pressure]

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess whether it is possible to shorten ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring while getting measurements that precisely reflect 24 hours and daytime blood pressure (BP).

Methods: three hundred and thirty six young male subjects aged: 21 +/- 2 y, height: 178 +/- 7 cm, weight, 75 +/- 12 kg, with normal or "borderline" BP (casual BP: 138 +/- 13/79 +/- 8 mmHg) participated in the study. BP was recorded in each, every 15 minutes on 24 hours with a Spacelabs 5200 device. Systolic and diastolic BP on 24-h, during the 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. period (daytime) and BP related to the different subperiods included between 15 minutes and 6 hours were calculated. BP values obtained from the 196 subperiods were correlated with 24-h, daytime ABP and causal BP. Results were classified according to the value of correlation coefficient, slope and intercept of regressions.

Results: no subperiod accurately predict 24-h systolic BP (SBP) or diastolic BP (DBP) (the best correlation are established with the subperiods: 7 p.m.-01 a.m. for SBP; r = 0.916, p less than 10(-9), y = 0.76 x + 30; and 06 a.m.-12 a.m. for DBP; r = 0.914, p less than 10(-9), y = 0.87 x + 9). Four 6 hours subperiods sampled between 09 a.m.-3 p.m. and 12 a.m.-6 p.m. predict alike and in a reasonable way the daytime BP (SBP: r = 0.971, p less than 10(-9), y = 0.94 x + 8; r = 0.973, p less than 10(-9), y = 0.91 x + 7. Best correlations with casual BP are moderate (SBP: r = 0.674, DBP: r = 0.588).

Comments: BP measurements of subperiods smaller or equal to 6 hours cannot accurately predict the average 24-h BP. This is related mainly to the night-time/daytime BP fluctuations. Daytime BP can be estimated with short-term monitoring but the duration must not be smaller than 6 hours.