-
Views
-
Cite
Cite
A. Ungar, G. Pepe, C. Bellotto, C. Girardi, M. Conforti, M. Braccia, G. Masotti, N. Marchionni, P-55: Clinical relevance of ABPM in the elderly hypertensives: Age related differences in typical variables and night-time blood pressure control, American Journal of Hypertension, Volume 14, Issue S1, April 2001, Page 47A, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0895-7061(01)01533-3
Close - Share Icon Share
Abstract
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) is a common diagnostic method in both young and elderly hypertensives, but the relation between ABPM parameters and age and its indication in the very-old patients are not well known. aged 21 to 95 years underwent both clinic blood pressure measurement with a mercury sphygmomanometer by a physician (average of two measurements at rest), as well as ABPM with Spacelabs 90207. Young-adults (53±9 years) were 639 and elderly (75±6 years) 849; 1100 had already been treated (64% elderly) and 388 had been left untreated (38% elderly). White coat effect (WCE) -the difference between clinic and average day-time blood pressure (BP)- was not related to age (r=0.02, p=ns), neither in treated nor in untreated patients. Pulse pressure and BP variability increased progressively with age. Night-time BP fall -the difference between day-time and night-time systolic BP (SBP)- was negatively related to age, so that “dipper” patients -those with nocturnal fall of SBP more than 10%- were more frequent in the young group (54% in the young and 34% in the elderly, p=0.0001). Clinic and ambulatory day-time BP control (BP<140/90 mmHg and BP<135/85 mmHg respectively) were similar in the two groups (21%). Conversely night-time BP control (<135/85 mmHg) was lower in the elderly than in the young-adult (59% vs 72 % respectively). Night-time BP control remained lower in the elderly than in the young when a more restrictive BP “cut off” (BP<125/80 mmHg) was used. In conclusion, BP variability increases and both night-time BP fall and control decrease with age. Considering the prognostic value of night-time BP and age-related modification described in this group, ABPM is probably more useful for the elderly than in the young hypertensives.
