[24-hour blood pressure behavior in patients with untreated and treated hypertension in comparison with normotensive patients].

Blood pressure was continuously monitored over 24 h in 201 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension using a noninvasive method. Measurements were made both before and after 6 months of antihypertensive treatment and the data were compared to results from 100 normotensive patients. The frequency with which blood pressure values above 140/90 mm Hg occurred during the 24-h period proved to be the most reliable parameter for distinguishing between hypertensive and normotensive profiles. The blood pressures of all patients could be normalized (less than 140/90 mm Hg) on single or combined drug therapy as assessed by casual measurement. However, significant differences were observed between the 24-h profiles of the treated patients and the control group. The mean 24-h blood pressure, the mean day and nighttime blood pressures, the mean hourly pressure, and the frequency of increased blood pressure values were all significantly higher in the patients on medication as compared to the normotensive controls. This would suggest that normotension, as defined by the control group, cannot be attained with antihypertensive medication. In conclusion, 24-h continuous blood pressure monitoring allows a better evaluation of blood pressure profiles and consequently, will be of greater value in assessing cardiovascular risk than occasional random measurements.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes