title: 24-hour blood pressure profile early after renal transplantation.
abstract: Renal transplant patients are often found to have high blood pressure. We studied 12 cyclosporine-treated patients 8-10 days after kidney transplantation by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and once again at 35-40 days after kidney transplantation. The patients were found to have high mean blood pressure values at 8-10 days after transplantation, with a significant (p < 0.05) decrease at 35-40 days after transplantation (154.2 +/- 4.9/94.4 +/- 2.8 and 142.2 +/- 4.0/88.6 +/- 2.7 mmHg, respectively). A significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood pressure values was also noted in the second series of measurements, when compared to the first series, in the day-time systolic and in the night-time systolic and diastolic blood pressure values, but not in the day-time diastolic blood pressure values. An abnormal day/night pattern of blood pressure ("non-dipper") was found in these patients in both occasions, with a difference between average blood pressure values during day- and night-time of 1.3/3.0 (systolic/diastolic) and 5.7/7.6 mm Hg at 8-10 and 35-40 days after transplantation, respectively. This tendency towards attenuation of the "non-dipper" pattern occurred in association with the decrease in body weight and of the dose of immunosuppressive drugs. As hemodynamic factors may play a role in both the short and the long-term function and viability of kidney transplant grafts, the high blood pressure and the "non-dipper" pattern of blood pressure found early after kidney transplantation may require a special therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Nefrologia, Hospital de São João e Unidade de Farmacologia Clínica, Faculdade de Medicina, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: M do S
authors.initials: Mdo S
authors.lastname: Faria
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ferraz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Praça
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pestana
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guerra
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Polónia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged