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Nighttime blood pressure dipping in postmenopausal women with coronary heart disease

Andrew Sherwood1, Julie K Bower, Faye S Routledge

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA. sherw002@mc.duke.edu

American Journal of Hypertension
|July 13, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery disease (CAD) and aging in postmenopausal women are linked to reduced nighttime blood pressure (BP) dipping, increasing cardiovascular risk. Improving physical activity and sleep may enhance BP dipping and mitigate risks.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Gerontology
  • Sleep Medicine

Background:

  • Blunted nighttime blood pressure (BP) dipping is a known predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.
  • This association may be more pronounced in women compared to men.
  • Postmenopausal women are a key demographic for studying cardiovascular risk factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between coronary artery disease (CAD) and reduced BP dipping in postmenopausal women.
  • To examine the influence of advancing age on BP dipping in this population.
  • To explore the roles of daytime physical activity and nighttime sleep quality in BP dipping.

Main Methods:

  • The study included 54 postmenopausal women with diagnosed CAD and 48 age-matched controls without CAD.
  • Participants underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring.
  • Actigraphy was used to assess daytime physical activity and nighttime sleep efficiency.

Main Results:

  • Women with CAD exhibited higher nighttime systolic BP and significantly blunted dipping in systolic BP, diastolic BP, and pulse pressure compared to non-CAD women.
  • Multivariable regression revealed that CAD, age, daytime physical activity, and sleep efficiency were independent predictors of systolic BP dipping variability.
  • Similar associations were observed for diastolic BP dipping.

Conclusions:

  • Coronary artery disease and increasing age are associated with blunted nighttime BP dipping in postmenopausal women, potentially elevating cardiovascular event risk.
  • Lifestyle modifications, including increased daytime physical activity and improved nighttime sleep quality, may enhance BP dipping.
  • These lifestyle interventions could serve as a strategy to improve cardiovascular risk profiles in this demographic.
Abstract

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