AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE AND HEART-RATE IN ADOLESCENTS WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

There is little information regarding ambulatory blood pressure in ado lescents with insulin-dependent diabetes. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate was studied in 28 normotensive adolescen ts with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and normoalbuminuri a, and adolescent controls. Ambulatory heart rate was higher during da y and night (P = .001) in the ZDDM patients, with normal mean diurnal variation of heart rate and blood pressure. Duration of diabetes relat ed to diastolic ambulatory blood pressure (r = 0.69, P = .0001) and di astolic blood pressure burden (r = 0.61, P = .0001) independent of age , gender, height, body mass index, metabolic control, and albumin excr etion rate. The ambulatory blood pressure monitor was well accepted in patients and controls. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in adoles cents detects early changes in relation to duration of insulin-depende nt diabetes.