Abstract
NIHEI, M., IMAI, Y., ABE, K., SASAKI, S., MINAMI, N., MUNAKATA, M., SAKUMA, H., HASHIMOTO, J., SEKINO, H. and YOSHINAGA, K. Similarity in Amplitude of the Nocturnal Fall in Blood Pressure in Old and Young Patients with Essential Hypertension. Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1989, 158 (2), 163-169-The influence of age on the nocturnal fall in blood pressure (BP) was examined in essential hypertensive patients as well as normal subjects. BP was monitored every 5min for 24hr by means of a finger volume oscillometric device. Average daytime BP was similar in the 3 age groups [young: <40 (years), n=49, average daytime systolic BP (ASBP)=132±20mmHg, average daytime diastolic BP (ADBP)=82±17mmHg; adult: 40≤ <60, n=110, ASBP=127±19mmHg, ADBP=86± 13mmHg; old: 60≤, n=33, ASBP=131±17mmHg. ADBP=83±11, mean± S.D.]. The nocturnal fall in BP was observed in all age groups and its amplitude(ΔBP=average daytime BP-average nighttime BP) in the old patients (ΔSBP=13±11mmHg, ΔDBP=10+8mmHg) was similar to that in the young patients (ΔSBP=11±8mmHg, ΔDBP=10±8mmHg). The result suggests that information on the nocturnal behavior of BP is valuable in treating aged essential hypertensives to prevent cerebral and/or myocardial ischemia during sleep.
