Blood pressure variations assessed by continuous 24-hour monitoring in menopausal and climacteric women

Changes in the metabolic hormonal balance during the climacteric and menopause, especially surgically induced menopause, increase the risk of acute cerebrocardiovascular complications. This major risk may be linked to changes in blood pressure. In this study we performed twenty-four ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in climacteric (C), menopausal (PM), and surgically induced menopausal women (SM) to determine mean diurnal and nocturnal systodiastolic levels and percentage peaks, as variations in the pressure profile may be linked to organ damage. Our results showed that the entire series presented mainly diastolic increments (mDBP: HPM = 104.4 +/- 5.1; HSM = 106.3 +/- 2.9; HC = 100.2 +/- 3.1), and that this rise was greater in surgically induced menopausal women. In addition, these subjects presented the highest diastolic and systolic pressure peaks (HSM 37/42 versus HPM 35/36 and HC 29/31) also during the night (nocturnal peak: HSM 15/19 versus HPM 10/12 and HC 5/15). Non dippers seem more exposed to cerebrocardiovascular disease. Our results revealed that climacteric patients affected by arterial hypertension (mSBP = 162.2 +/- 4.1; mDBP = 100.2 +/- 3.1; 24 h systolic peak % = 24, diastolic peak % = 24) during the climacteric presented the same levels as observed in conclaimed menopause (mSBP 165.2 +/- 5.5; mDBP = 104.2 +/- 5.1; 24 h systolic peak % = 28, diastolic peak % = 29). Therefore, 24 h blood pressure monitoring is able to show that the pressure changes in hypertensive climacteric and menopausal women and could detect women who are at a greater risk of organ damage.