DIURNAL BLOOD-PRESSURE RHYTHM IN HYPERTENSIVES WITH PARENTAL HISTORY OF STROKE

To investigate whether the lack of nocturnal decline of blood pressure (nondipper) is a primary cause of stroke or a secondary abnormality d ue to stoke, we examined the relation between the blood pressure varia tion and parental history of stroke in 110 hypertensive patients. In n ondippers (n = 54), the frequency of positive parental history of stro ke was significantly higher than in dippers (n = 56) (53.7% v 33.9%, c hi(2) = 4.37, P = .0366). We observed a significant increase in the in cidence of positive parental history of stroke in nondippers, suggesti ng that some genetic factors may regulate blood pressure profiles befo re stroke develops. (C) 1997 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.