Nocturnal blood pressure non-dipping, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sleep quality in women.
Women with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have poor sleep quality and increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Non-dipping of nocturnal blood pressure may be an explanatory factor for the relationship between sleep and CVD found in previous research. The current study was designed to determine if non-dipping nocturnal blood pressure was associated with trauma exposure, PTSD diagnosis, PTSD symptoms, and sleep quality in a sample of women. Participants completed 24 hours of ABPM and self-report questionnaires. Non-dipping was defined as less than 10% reduction in blood pressure during sleep. The frequency of non-dippers did not differ by diagnostic status (d = .15). However, non-dippers endorsed more traumatic event categories (d = .53), more PTSD hyperarousal symptoms (d = .53), poorer overall sleep quality (d = .59), more frequent use of sleep medication (d = .62), greater sleep-related daytime dysfunction (d = .58), and longer sleep onset latencies (d = .55) than dippers. Increased attention to nocturnal blood pressure variation may be needed to improve blood pressure control in trauma-exposed women.
a Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center.
Christi S
CS
Ulmer
Patrick S
PS
Calhoun
Hayden B
HB
Bosworth
Michelle F
MF
Dennis
Jean C
JC
Beckham
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003624:Darkness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*