H. Ijiri et al., Cardiac arrhythmias and left ventricular hypertrophy in dipper and nondipper patients with essential hypertension, JPN CIRC J, 64(7), 2000, pp. 499-504
Citations number
34
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
To evaluate the behavior of cardiac arrhythmias in dipper and nondipper hyp
ertensive patients, 48-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, 24-h Holter
electrocardiogram recording and echocardiographic studies were performed in
56 untreated outpatients with essential hypertension. These patients were
divided into 2 groups according to the presence (dipper, n = 33) or absence
(nondipper, n = 23) of reduction of both systolic and diastolic blood pres
sure during nighttime by an average of more than 10% of daytime blood press
ure. Mean 48-h systolic and diastolic blood pressures did not differ betwee
n the 2 groups. Nondipper patients had a significantly larger left atrial d
imension (31.9 +/- 3.8 vs 35.6 +/- 3.7mm; p < 0.01), left ventricular mass
index (114 +/- 26 vs 136 +/- 36 g/m(2); p < 0.05), as well as a larger numb
er of total supraventricular (16 +/- 19 vs 89 +/- 197 beats; p < 0.05) and
ventricular ectopic beats (7 +/- 14 vs 47 +/- 96 beats; p < 0.05) during da
ytime as compared with dippers. In conclusion, nondipper hypertensive patie
nts an likely to experience supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias mo
re frequently than dippers, A blunted nocturnal blood pressure fall may be
involved in the appearance of cardiac arrhythmias in patients with essentia
l hypertension.