[Placebo effect and arterial pressure].
The aim of the present single blind study was the assessment of the effect of placebo on office (OBP) and 24-hour ambulatory (ABP) blood pressure in patients with mild and moderate essential hypertension (WHO stage I). Ten patients (6 males, 4 females, age 51 +/- 9 years) underwent both OBP and ABP measurements at the beginning and the end of a 2-week placebo treatment. The comparison of the results of the first (OBP 156/100 +/- 15/6 mmHg, day ABP 155/96 +/- 12/7 mmHg, night ABP 139/81 +/- 21/10 mmHg) and the second sets of measurements (OBP 152/98 +/- 22/7 mmHg, day ABP 147/90 +/- 15/7 mmHg, night ABP 134/79 +/- 18/7 mmHg) did not show a statistically significant drop in OBP and night ABP, while there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in day ABP. Thus, the effect of placebo can influence day ABP measurements, even when OBP is not decreased by placebo administration. Possible explanations involve alerting reactions to the first ABP monitorings in selected patients with mild and even moderate hypertension.
Pannarale
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II Cattedra di Cardiologia, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza.
Serafini
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GL
Spadaro
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O
Arciero
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M
D000553:Ambulatory Care; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015990:Placebo Effect; D016037:Single-Blind Method
Effetto placebo e pressione arteriosa.