title: Non-dipping nocturnal blood pressure in psoriasis vulgaris.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psoriasis vulgaris is one of the most prevalent chronic, inflammatory skin disorders. Patients with psoriasis carry an excess risk of hypertension and adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. Blood pressure (BP) has a circadian rhythm characterised with lower values at night. A blunted nocturnal BP decline defined as non-dipping accelerates the development of hypertension and CV diseases. The aim of this study is to evaluate circadian variation of blood pressure in normotensive middle-aged patients with psoriasis vulgaris.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy adult patients with psoriasis vulgaris (group 1) and 70 age and sex-matched healthy individuals (group 2) were included in the study. Ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in all participants over a 24-h period. Non-dippers are defined as those who show a reduction in BP of less than 10 % between the average day and night systolic BP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although mean 24-h BPs were similar in both groups, night-time BPs were significantly higher in psoriatic patients (115.1 ± 7.7 vs. 109.9 ± 6.0 mmHg and 72.1 ± 7.0 vs. 67.6 ± 5.5 mmHg, respectively; p < 0.05). The non-dipping pattern of BP changes was significantly more common in patients with psoriasis vulgaris compared with the control group (65.9 vs. 34.1 %, p < 0.01). Psoriasis severity and BMI are independent predictors of impaired nocturnal BP regulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with psoriasis vulgaris had increased nocturnal BP and heart rate. This is the first study to demonstrate a blunted nocturnal BP decrease in normotensive patients with psoriasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, BezmiÂlem Foundation University, Vatan Street, 34093, Fatih/Istanbul, Turkey. ahmetbacaxiz@mynet.com
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bacaksiz
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akif Vatankulu
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sonmez
authors.forename: Ercan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Erdogan
authors.forename: Abdurrahman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tasal
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turfan
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ertas
authors.forename: Emrah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sevgili
authors.forename: Didem
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dizman
authors.forename: Nahide
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Onsun
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012016:Reference Values; D014421:Turkey; D055815:Young Adult