Prognostic significance of the nocturnal decline in blood pressure in individuals with and without high 24-h blood pressure: the Ohasama study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between the normal nocturnal decline in blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular mortality in individuals with and without high 24-h blood pressure values.


METHODS
We obtained 24-h ambulatory blood pressure readings from 1542 residents of Ohasama, Japan, who were aged 40 years or more and were representative of the Japanese general population. We then followed up their survival for a mean of 9.2 years. The relationship was analysed using a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for possible confounding factors.


RESULTS
There was a linear relationship between the nocturnal decline in blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality. On average, each 5% decrease in the decline in nocturnal systolic/diastolic blood pressure was associated with an approximately 20% greater risk of cardiovascular mortality. There were no significant interactions for the risk between 24-h systolic/diastolic blood pressure values and continuous values for the nocturnal decline in blood pressure ( for interaction 0.6). Even when 24-h blood pressure values were within the normal range ( 135/80 mmHg, average 118/69 mmHg), diminished nocturnal decreases in systolic/diastolic blood pressure were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to demonstrate that a diminished nocturnal decline in blood pressure is a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality, independent of the overall blood pressure load during a 24-h period, in the general population.
Ohkubo
Takayoshi
T
Departments of Public Health, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Environmental Health Science, Tohoku University School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Science, Sendai and Ohasama Hospital, Iwate, Japan. tohkubo@mail.cc.tohoku.ac.jp
Hozawa
Atsushi
A
Yamaguchi
Junko
J
Kikuya
Masahiro
M
Ohmori
Kaori
K
Michimata
Mari
M
Matsubara
Mitsunobu
M
Hashimoto
Junichiro
J
Hoshi
Haruhisa
H
Araki
Tsutomu
T
Tsuji
Ichiro
I
Satoh
Hiroshi
H
Hisamichi
Shigeru
S
Imai
Yutaka
Y
D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors