Blood pressure circadian rhythm in non-hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects.

Objective. To determine the characteristics of the blood pressure circadian rhythm in non-hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects. Material and methods. Cross-sectional study on 57 individuals with type 2 diabetes without hyper tension (31 women and 26 men) and 57 healthy subjects in a control group (2 9 women and 28 men). High blood pressure, renal or hepatic diseases were ex clusion criteria. Using patient activated semiautomatic portable blood pres sure recorder (Omron Healthcare Inc., Vernon Hills, Ill 60061), self-measur ed blood pressure of 24-h was registered. Subjects who blood pressure measu res were not appropriately recorded in equal or more than 10% of the lectur es were not included. Results. The average systolic and diastolic blood pre ssure of 24-h was similar between the groups studied. The percentage decrea se in the nocturnal systolic/diastolic blood pressure was of 4.6%/1.2% and 3.8%/6.8% for the diabetic women and men respectively, and of 8.6%/9.9% and 6.8%/8.2% in the control women and men. For the last nocturnal and first d iurnal hours the systolic/diastolic blood pressure of diabetic subjects sho wed a lower increase with a higher duration than that observed for the cont rol group. Conclusions. Non hypertensive type 2 diabetic subjects shown bot h nocturnal blood pressure fall of less than 10% and a lower increase, with prolonged duration in the first diurnal hours, than that observed in healt hy subjects.