title: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring profile in urban African black and European white untreated hypertensive patients matched for age and sex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to compare the 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) profile in never-treated black hypertensive patients living in Africa, Mozambique (20-80 years), versus never-treated white hypertensive patients living in Europe.
  
  
  METHODS
  ABP recordings of untreated black hypertensive patients and white hypertensive patients with 24-h ABP of 130/80 mmHg or more were retrospectively selected from two computerized database records of ABP and matched for age by decades, sex, and BMI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Black hypertensive patients were n=548, 47 ± 12 years, 52% women, BMI=28.0 ± 8.2 kg/m(2), 7% smokers, 7% diabetics; white hypertensive patients were n=604, 47 ± 15 years, 52% women, BMI=27.4 ± 5.1 kg/m(2), 8.4% diabetics, and 18% smokers (P<0.02). Black hypertensive patients versus white hypertensive patients showed higher casual blood pressure (BP) 160/104 ± 19/14 versus 149/97 ± 18/12 mmHg, 24-h ABP 146/92 ± 16/13 versus 139/85 ± 11/10 mmHg, daytime ABP 150/95 ± 16/13 versus 143/88 ± 13/11 mmHg, night-time BP 139/84 ± 17/13 versus 130/78 ± 13/10 mmHg (all P<0.001) and lower night-time BP fall 8.3 ± 6.9 versus 10.1 ± 8.7% (P<0.02) and higher BP variability. Differences were still significant in all decades above 30 years of age and when calculations were carried out separately for both men and women. The average 24-h heart rate did not differ between groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that untreated black hypertensive patients systematically present higher clinic and ABP values and a lower night-time BP fall than untreated white hypertensive patients for all spectra of age distribution. This might be the reason for the worse cardiovascular prognosis described in black hypertensive patients compared with white hypertensive patients.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Medicine and Cintesis, Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, Porto bHypertension Unit, Hospital Pedro Hispano EPE, ULS Matosinhos cDepartment of Cardiology, Hospital Infante D Pedro, EPE, Health School, Aveiro University, Aveiro, Portugal dDepartment of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polónia
authors.forename: Tavares
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Madede
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mesquita-Bastos
authors.forename: Albertino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damasceno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population; D044465:White People