CIRCADIAN-RHYTHMS OF BLOOD-PRESSURE AND HEART-RATE IN PATIENTS WITH HUMAN T-LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-I-ASSOCIATED MYELOPATHY

Noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate monitoring were u sed to investigate cardiovascular dysfunction in patients with human T -lymphotropic virus type-I(HTLV-I)-associated myelopathy (HAM). The su bjects were 23 patients with HAM, and 23 sex- and age-matched normoten sive healthy volunteers (controls). Circadian rhythms of blood pressur e and heart rate were present in both the HAM patients and controls. A mplitudes and the 24-hr mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures we re significantly lower in the patients than in the controls. The 24 hr mean heart rate was significantly higher in the patients, the differe nce being particularly marked during the night. Differences in the acr o-phases of the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate between patients and controls were small but still significant. These results suggest that subclinical cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction is present in HAM patients.