[Isolated nocturnal hypertension in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus]

Isolated nocturnal hypertension is associated with a greater number of cardiovascular events and target organ damage due to arterial hypertension. It has been observed that patients in the general population with this entity do not have high blood pressure figures in the office; and it is necessary to perform an outpatient measurement to unmask it. The prevalence in special populations is not fully described. The objective of the following study is to describe the prevalence of isolated nocturnal hypertension in a population living with the human immunodeficiency virus and to observe its relationship with the categories of office blood pressure and the phenotypes of the 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement.

A retrospective cohort was carried out in a population with human immunodeficiency virus in a public hospital in Spain, clinical epidemiological characteristics, office blood pressure measurements and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM) were recorded. An analysis was performed based on the different ABPM blood pressure phenotypes, as well as based on the different office blood pressure categories, the risks for isolated nocturnal hypertension were calculated.

One hundred and sixteen individuals, without antihypertensive medication or history of established cardiovascular disease, were included in the analysis. A prevalence of nocturnal hypertension of 23.3% was described. It was not possible to demonstrate significant differences between phenotypes by ABPM of any variable specific to HIV. There were no adjusted risk differences between the different categories of office normotensives.

Isolated nocturnal hypertension is more frequent in patients with HIV and office blood pressure values in normotensive patients are not sufficient to predict isolated nocturnal hypertension.