FOURIER-ANALYSIS OF CIRCADIAN BLOOD-PRESSURE PROFILE IN SECONDARY HYPERTENSION

Different types of statistical methods have been used for circadian bl ood pressure (BP) rhythm analysis in secondary forms of hypertension. In the present study, we used the two-step statistical approach by Fou rier analysis with four harmonics for the parametrization of the diurn al BP pattern in secondary hypertension, In 43 essential hypertensives (EH), eight patients with aldosterone producing adenoma (APA), 25 wit h idiopathic hyperaldosteronism (IHA), four with glucocorticoid remedi able hyperaldosteronism (GRH) and seven with renovascular hypertension (RVH), 24-h ambulatory BP was measured. The diurnal BP and heart rate (HR) rhythm was present in more than 70% of patients with secondary h ypertension, without significant differences with EH and despite the a ttenuation in the degree of the nocturnal BP fall. In conclusion, the statement that secondary hypertension is characterized by an abnormal diurnal rhythm of BP is a gross over-simplification, our findings sugg est that the two-step method with four harmonics Fourier analysis may represent a useful method and a more complete statistical approach to providing circadian parametrization of the 24-h profile in secondary h ypertension.