Blood pressure surge on rising

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hypertension Research
• Clinical Physiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular events often occur in the morning.
• This is potentially linked to the blood pressure (BP) surge upon waking.
• Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for managing hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure BP and heart rate (HR) upon rising in untreated hypertensive patients.
• To compare these measurements with pre-rising values.
• To identify factors associated with significant changes in BP and HR.

Main Methods:

• 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was performed.
• BP upon rising was accurately measured using a position sensor.
• Left ventricular mass was assessed via echocardiography at baseline.

Main Results:

• A cohort of 507 untreated hypertensive patients was analyzed.
• Rising resulted in an average increase of 14 mmHg in systolic BP and 13 bpm in HR.
• This morning BP surge was associated with left ventricular hypertrophy and increased cardiovascular risk.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a significant BP surge and HR acceleration upon rising in hypertensive individuals.
• This morning BP elevation is linked to overall BP variability, not mean 24-h BP.
• The surge is an independent predictor of cardiovascular complications, irrespective of age or average 24-h BP.