Reduced Nocturnal Blood Pressure dip and Sustained Nighttime Hypertension are Specific Markers of Secondary Hypertension
Abstract
Objective To investigate with the use of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring whether nocturnal BP dip and nighttime BP values are different in children with untreated primary and secondary hypertension. Study design Ambulatory BP monitoring studies from 145 children with untreated hypertension were retrospectively analyzed.
Forty-five children had primary hypertension and 100 children had secondary hypertension. Results Children with secondary hypertension had lower nocturnal BP dip for systolic and diastolic BP in comparison to children with primary hypertension (8% +/- 5% vs 14% +/- 4% for systolic and 14% +/- 7% vs 22% +/- 5% for diastolic BP, P <.0001 for. perterision were classified as nondipper (BP dip < 10%) for systolic BP and no both).
Eleven percent of children with primary hypertension child for diastolic BP; on the contrary, in children , 65% were nondippers for systolic and 21% for n with secondary hy diastolic BP. Nocturnal svstolic and diastolic BP loads were significantly greater in children with secondary hypertension than in those with primary hypertension.
Conclusions Reduced nocturnal BP dip and sustained nighttime BP elevation are specific markers of secondary hypertension in children with untreated hypertension. Children with blunted nocturnal BP dip or sustained nighttime pertension. hypertension should be thoroughly investigated searching for the underlying cause of hypertension.