Circadian variation of blood pressure and neurohumoral factors during the acute phase of stroke.

This study was to investigate the relationship between circadian blood pressure (BP) variation and circadian variation of neurohumoral factors during the acute phase of stroke. We studied 17 patients with cerebral infarction in 16 and cerebral hemorrhage in one. We performed 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring and examined plasma renin activity (PRA), catecholamine, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), endothelin 1 (ET1) and prothrombin fragment 1+2 (PT F1+2) and urinary catecholamine. Our result showed that the circadian variation of BP, neurohumoral and coagulation factors were diminished. There were significant relationships between BP levels and plasma BNP levels, nocturnal urinary adrenalines and ET1s. There were also significant relationships between night/day ratio of BP and plasma ET1 level. In conclusion the abnormal patterns of circadian BP rhythm were frequently observed during the acute phase of stroke. The cause of this abnormality may result from the diminished circadian rhythms of neurohumoral factors.