title: Blood pressure load in adults with treated hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess blood pressure (BP) load in a population of treated hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group consisted of 137 hypertensive adults, including 75 (54.75%) men and 62 (45.25%) women, with either formerly or newly diagnosed hypertension based on office BP measurements. The median age in the whole study group was 52 years (47 and 56 years among men and women, respectively). The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27 ± 4 kg/m², and median duration of hypertension was 3 years. We divided the study group into subgroups depending on age, gender, BMI, and duration of hypertension. All patients underwent single 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring. We calculated 24-h, daytime and nighttime BP loads separately for systolic and diastolic BP. Statistical analysis was carried out using the SPSS 15.0 environment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Men were significantly younger than women (48.17 vs. 55.48 years, p < 0.02). Mean BMI was higher in men than women (28 vs. 26 kg/m², p < 0.044). There were no differences in the mean values of BP load depending on gender, BMI and, duration of hypertension (p = NS). Twenty-four hour and daytime diastolic BP load was higher in patients aged 41-65 years than in patients above 65 years (32.4 vs. 20.8%, p < 0.04; and 29.6 vs. 17.5%, p < 0.03). A negative correlation was found between daytime diastolic BP load and age (r = -0.19, p < 0.026) and a positive correlation was found between night time systolic BP load and age (r = 0.24, p < 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no relationship between BP load and gender, BMI, and duration of hypertension. Diastolic BP load was age-related. Middle-aged patients were characterised by significantly higher values of 24-h and daytime diastolic BP load than the elderly patients.
authors: 1st Cardiology Clinic, The Regional United Hospital, Kielce, Poland. maciej.kluk@gmail.com.
authors: Maciej Krzysztof
authors: MK
authors: Kluk
authors: Iwona
authors: I
authors: Gorczyca-Michta
authors: Paweł
authors: P
authors: Salwa
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Dziubek
authors: Alicja Magdalena
authors: AM
authors: Stępień-Wałek
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Wożakowska-Kapłon
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution