SMOKING-RELATED TO 24-H AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE AND HEART-RATE - A STUDY IN 352 NORMOTENSIVE DANISH SUBJECTS

This study shows the association between smoking and both office and a mbulatory blood pressure. By means of stratification, a uniform number of subjects of both sexes and spanning 6 decades (aged 20 to 79 years ) were recruited randomly from the local community register. A total o f 352 subjects participated, including 161 smokers. Smokers (both sexe s and all age groups summed), as compared with nonsmokers had statisti cally significant lower office blood pressure as follows (mean systoli c +/- SED/mean diastolic +/- SED): (systolic and diastolic, -6.8 +/- 2 .1/-3.9 +/- 1.3); day ambulatory blood pressure (diastolic, /-2.8 +/- 1.0); and night ambulatory blood pressure (systolic and diastolic, -4. 2 +/- 1.8/-3.9 +/- 1.1). The intraperson variability of the day ambula tory blood pressure (as measured every 15 min) was identical for the s mokers and the nonsmokers. previously been described. The major white coat effect was seen in the older nonsmokers, whereas the diminished w hite coat effect was most pronounced in the older male smokers and in the younger female smokers. Smokers seem to have a diminished white co at effect, as well as a lower ambulatory blood pressure throughout the day (diastolic) and at night (systolic and diastolic). The similar in traperson variability found in the smokers' and nonsmokers' blood pres sure further speaks for a consistently lower blood pressure in smokers as compared with nonsmokers. (C) 1997 American Journal of Hypertensio n, Ltd.