title: [Circadian blood pressure variations in young and in older patients].
abstract: Elevated blood pressure in the elderly is common despite they are normotensive. This "pseudo-hypertension" is probably a white-coat effect or depends on the increased arterial stiffness. Ambulant blood-pressure monitoring (by portable automated oscillometry) provides a reasonable accurate estimate of the blood pressure level throughout the day and better predicts cardiac end-organ damage. In normotensive elderly volunteers the systolic arterial pressure and the blood pressure amplitude was higher than in young normotensive subjects. The circadian profile of the two groups was comparable. Specific habits like an afternoon nap significantly influenced the blood pressure of the elderly. The blood pressure variability in geriatric hypertensives with antihypertensive therapy was smaller than in normotensive elderly controls. Any severe blood-pressure nadir at night was not registered in both groups. 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a careful method and should be used to determine the need and the effectiveness of antihypertensive treatment in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Geriatrischen Klinik des Geriatrischen Zentrums, Klinikum Berlin-Buch, BRD.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grossmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
vernacular_title: Untersuchungen zum zirkadianen Blutdruckverhalten von jungen und geriatrischen Patienten.