Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 21, 2026
Multiple Intravenous Bolus Dosing and Invasive Hemodynamic Assessment in a Hypoxia-Induced Mouse Pulmonary Artery Hypertension Model
Published on: November 11, 2022
[Behavior of the night decrease of arterial pressure after suppression controlled of the antihypertensive medication]
F Villalba Alcalá1, A Espino Montoro, C Alvarez Lacayo
1Doctor en Medicina. Médico de Familia. Servicio de Cuidados Críticos y Urgencias del Hospital de La Merced. Osuna. Sevilla. España. franvillalba81@hotmail.com
Insights
Discontinuing antihypertensive medication in well-controlled hypertension did not alter the percentage of patients who are "dippers" (showing a normal night-time blood pressure decrease). This suggests medication withdrawal does not significantly impact this cardiovascular risk indicator.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Management
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Patients with hypertension lacking a normal night-time blood pressure decrease (non-dippers) exhibit increased target organ damage.
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is crucial for assessing blood pressure patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the prevalence of the "dipper" status in patients with controlled Grade 1 or 2 hypertension after discontinuing antihypertensive medication.
- To evaluate changes in blood pressure patterns, specifically the "dipper" phenomenon, following medication withdrawal.
Main Methods:
- An observational, descriptive study involving 70 essential hypertensive patients with controlled blood pressure.
- ABPM was conducted in two phases: before and 4 weeks after suspending antihypertensive medication, with diurnal and nocturnal readings.
Main Results:
- 18 patients (26%) could not complete the study due to unacceptable blood pressure after medication withdrawal.
- 83% of patients remained "dippers" after medication suppression, with no significant gender-based differences in night-time blood pressure reduction.
- A majority of patients (75%) maintained their "dipper" or "non-dipper" status throughout the study.
Conclusions:
- Withdrawing antihypertensive medication in well-controlled Grade 1 or 2 hypertensive patients does not alter the proportion of individuals exhibiting normal night-time blood pressure decreases.
- The "dipper" status, a marker of cardiovascular risk, appears stable in this patient group upon short-term medication cessation.
Objective:
The patients with hypertension who do not present a night decrease of the arterial pressure are a bigger degree of target organ damage due to the supported hypertension. In our work we analyzed after ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) the prevalence of the condition dipper of the patients with hypertension of degree 1 and/or 2 after the suppression controlled of the antihypertensive medication; as well as the magnitude of the effect of white coat (object of another study).
Design:
Almost experimental study and descriptive.
Setting:
Primary care. Urban health centre. Participants measurements and results. Studies of ABPM were realized in 70 essential hypertense patients with good control of the arterial pressure after pharmacological treatment before suspending the antihypertensive medication (1 phase) and to the 4 weeks of leaving the treatment (2 phase), two periods being programmed: diurnal and night.
Results:
Of all 70 hypertense patients, 18 (26%) did not manage to carry out 2 ABPM since after the retreat of the medication there presented blood pressure unacceptable values that forced to re-introduce the medicaments. The 79% of the hypertense patients were dipper after the 1 monitoring and that after the suppression of the antihypertensive medication, 83% was continuing being dipper. Depending on the gender there were no statistically significant differences as for the night decrease of the arterial pressure in both periods. Finally, 75% and 11.5% of the patients were dippers or not dippers, respectively, in both phases and only 13.5% of the patients it changed its condition.
Conclusions:
The retreat of the medication in hypertense of degree 1 and/or 2 well controlled does not modify the patients' percentage with night decreases of the blood pressure.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:30Alterations in Blood Pressure
Hypertension (High blood pressure)
Hypertension occurs when blood pressure readings consistently exceed the normal range. It is diagnosed when systolic blood pressure (the top number, indicating pressure while the heart beats)...
01:18Hypertension and Regulation of Blood Pressure
01:30Antihypertensive Drugs: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
01:30Antihypertensive Drugs: Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers
01:25Antihypertensive Drugs: Direct Renin Inhibitors
01:28Hypertension IV: Drug Therapy and Lifestyle Modifications