Rationale and methodology of monitoring ambulatory blood pressure and arterial compliance in the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial.
OBJECTIVE
This article describes the rationale and methodology for the monitoring of ambulatory blood pressure and arterial compliance in hypertensive patients aged 80 years and above. This is a side project of the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial.


METHODS
The hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial is a multicentre, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial aiming to investigate the effect of active treatment on cardiovascular and other outcomes in hypertensive patients aged 80 years or more. Patients are randomized to placebo or active treatment starting with the diuretic indapamide and adding the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril if required. This study has completed a pilot trial and the main trial is now underway. Six hundred patients will have two ABPM recordings, the first at baseline and the second a year after randomization. Arterial compliance is measured using the Q wave (electrocardiogram) to Korotkoff diastole sound interval.


RESULTS
Baseline characteristics for the first 50 patients recruited are presented.


CONCLUSIONS
This side project will allow the investigation of 24-h ambulatory measures of blood pressure and arterial compliance as predictors of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events in the very elderly. The project will also allow the investigation of the blood pressure and vascular compliance profiles in the very elderly and their changes with posture. The association between these measurements and mortality and morbidity in this age group will be addressed.
Pinto
Elisabete
E
Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, UK.
Bulpitt
Christopher
C
Beckett
Nigel
N
Peters
Ruth
R
Staessen
Jan A
JA
Rajkumar
Chakravarthi
C
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001158:Arteries / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007190:Indapamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009819:Office Visits; D020913:Perindopril / Q000627:therapeutic use
D007190:Indapamide; D020913:Perindopril