title: Circadian pattern of blood pressure in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia.
abstract: AIMS #ENTITYSTARTX00026;
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To find out the circadian pattern of blood pressure in normotensive pregnant women and in women with preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional prospective observational case control study. Blood pressure was sampled in thirty-five normotensive pregnant women (control) and thirty five preeclamptic women (study group) by using non-invasive automatic ambulatory blood pressure monitoring machine for 72 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Blood pressure (BP) was not constant over 24 h period and it oscillated from time to time in control group. BP was maximum during early part of afternoon. However, in preeclampsia besides quantitative increase in BP, circadian BP oscillations were less pronounced and in around 50% subjects BP was maximum during evening and night hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both systolic and diastolic BP showed definite reproducible circadian pattern in both preeclamptic and normotensive pregnant women. This pattern both quantitatively and qualitatively was different in preeclamptic women. Standardized 24 h BP monitoring allows quantitative and qualitative evaluation of hypertensive status and is important for timing and dosing of antihypertensive medications.
authors.forename: Hem Prabha
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Urmila
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Seema
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mehrotra
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baranwal