Twenty-four hour profile of blood pressure in patients with acromegaly. Correlation with demographic clinical and hormonal features

Cardiovascular events are frequently reported in patients with acromegaly a nd they are usually related to arterial hypertension. Aim of the present st udy was to assess the 24-hour profile of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) in patients with active acromegaly and to correlate them with clinica l and hormonal data. Sixteen patients and 16 healthy, age and sex matched s ubjects underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring by means of a portab le automatic device (SpaceLabs monitor 90207, Kontron) with measurements ev ery 20 minutes for 24 hours. The presence of the nocturnal fall was assesse d by the calculation of the night-day systolic and diastolic ratio. The mea n 24-hour diastolic BP was significantly higher in acromegalic patients tha n in controls (79.1+/-11.5 mmHg vs 70.8+/-5.3 mmHg, p<0.05) and the circadi an diastolic profile was flatten. In fact, 10/16 patients were defined as n ondippers while this figure was 2/16 in the control group (62% vs 12%, p<0. 01), Also the mean 24-hour systolic BP was higher in acromegalic patients t han in controls (124.8+/-17.2 mmHg vs 114.1+/-8.6 mmHg, p<0.05). The circad ian systolic profile paralleled that of diastolic and was flatten, without a significant nocturnal fall. Ten out of 16 patients were nondippers compar ed to 2/16 controls (62 vs 12%, p<0.01). No significant correlation was fou nd between mean 24-hour BP, either diastolic or systolic, and demographic o r hormonal characteristics of the patients. HR patterns did not differ betw een patients and controls and were characterized by a prominent nocturnal f all. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 22: 48-54, 1999) (C)1999, Editrice Kurtis.