THE DIFFERENCES IN THE AMBULATORY MONITOR ING OF BLOOD-PRESSURE BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE HYPERTENSIVES ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT CARDIOVASCULAR DAMAGE

BACKGROUND: To establish it the differences between male and female hy pertensives, with similar characteristics, are associated with differe nt cardiovascular damage. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compare a group of 27 mild hypertensive males with another one of 24 females with similar characteristics, A 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, a 24 -hour ECG holter, an echocardiography and eye funduscopy, were done to all the patients. RESULTS: The mean of 24 hour-systolic blood pressur e (p < 0.01), the daytime and night-time systolic blood pressure load (p < 0.05), and the mean of systolic blood pressure daytime, were sign ificantly are not higher in male than in female hypertensives. Neither echocardiographic differences nor frequency of arrhytmias were observ ed between both groups. 66.7% of the women had left ventricular hypert rophy vs 37% of the men, without significant difference. 40.7% of the male had rethynopathy I-II vs 50% of the female, Left ventricular mass index correlated with different parameters of the ambulatory monitori ng in the multivariate analysis, Body mass index and daytime systolic blood pressure load classified correctly 89% of the male-group in with or without hypertensive rethynopathy. The body mass index, age and 24 -hour maximal systolic blood pressure, classified correctly 87.5% of f emale hypertensives in with and without hypertensive rethynopathy. CON CLUSIONS: The differences in the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring between male and female mild hypertensive patients, were not associate d with different cardiovascular damage. We emphasize the importance of the body mass index in the development of hypertensive rethynopathy i n both sexes.