PP.03.33

sponsorship: The European Union (HEALTH-F7-2011-278249 EU-MASCARA, HEALTH-F7-305507 HOMAGE and the European Research Council Advanced Researcher Grant 294713 EPLORE) and the Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Brussels, Belgium (G.0881.13 and G.0880.13) currently support the Studies Coordinating Centre (Leuven, Belgium). (European Union|HEALTH-F7-2011-278249 EU-MASCARA, European Union|HEALTH-F7-305507 HOMAGE, European Union (European Research Council)|294713 EPLORE, Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Brussels, Belgium|G.0881.13, Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Brussels, Belgium|G.0880.13)

Although blood pressure (BP) is a major determinant of pulse wave velocity (PWV), some treatments have independent effects on BP and arterial stiffness. Although both ambulatory BP (ABP) and self-measured BP at home (HBP) have become important measures for the diagnosis and management of hypertension, single day recordings may be insufficient for a proper diagnosis of hypertension or the evaluation of treatment efficacy. To evaluate weekly variations in BP using 7-day HBP and 7-day ABP monitoring and to determine the relation between arterial stiffness and BP measurements in community-dwelling patients with hypertension. We enrolled 68 community-dwelling hypertensive subjects in this study. Significant weekly variations in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were found in the awake ABP data (p < .01, respectively), while no significant weekly variations in the asleep ABP or the morning and evening HBP data were observed. In untreated subjects, significant correlations were obtained between the brachial-ankle PWV and the average awake SBP, the average asleep SBP and the average SBP measured by HBP in the evening. In treated subjects, only the average SBP measured by HBP in the morning was significantly correlated with the baPWV. Differences in the weekly variations in BP were observed between HBP and ABP monitoring. In addition, the morning systolic HBP was not correlated with arterial stiffness in untreated subjectswith hypertension but was correlated in treated subjects. Relations between the morning HBP and arterial stiffness might be attributed to morning surges in BP and/or trough levels of antihypertensive drugs.

Introduction: Elevated blood pressure (BP) is associated with damage to high flow, low resistance target organs such as the retina. Recent evidence suggests that 24-hour BP variability (BPV) is a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease, independent of 24-hour average BP. However, whether 24-hour BPV is related to concentric retinal arteriole remodeling in healthy adults is unknown. Thus, the purpose of our study was to determine the degree to which 24-hour BPV is associated with retinal lumen diameter and vascular resistance in healthy young/middle-aged adults, independent of 24-hour average BP. Methods: Healthy, normotensive adults aged 25 to 60 years (n=40; 50% female) underwent measurements of retinal arteriole diameter and flow using laser speckle flowgraphy. 24-hour brachial BP was determined using ambulatory BP monitoring. BPV was calculated as the standard deviation of all BP recordings for systolic and diastolic BP. Retinal vascular resistance was calculated as ocular perfusion pressure divided by mean retinal flow across 4 arterioles. Aortic stiffness was measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Results: Higher 24-hour systolic and diastolic average BP were associated with smaller retinal lumen diameter and elevated vascular resistance (P&lt;0.05). Although both systolic BPV (r=0.391, P=0.012) and diastolic BPV (r=0.315, P=0.048) were associated with higher retinal vascular resistance, only diastolic BPV was associated with smaller retinal arteriole lumen diameter (r=-0.393, P=0.012). The association of greater diastolic BPV with smaller retinal arteriole lumen diameter (β=-0.363, P=0.01) and higher retinal vascular resistance (β=0.395, P=0.007) remained after adjusting for age, body mass index, cfPWV, and 24-hour average diastolic BP. Conclusion: Higher diastolic BPV may contribute to adverse remodeling of retinal arterioles in healthy normotensive adults independent of arterial stiffness and traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors. Future studies could utilize local metabolic vasodilation via diffuse luminance flicker to examine whether retinal arteriole autoregulatory mechanisms are impaired in individuals with higher BPV.

Objective: Seasonal blood pressure (BP) changes has been described in clinic BP. Few studies have examined the seasonal variation in BP and BP variability, assessed by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and it remains uncertain whether the seasonal trend differs between young and elderly hypertensive patients. Design and Method: A total of 1028 untreated essential hypertensive patients (mean age 52 ± 14 years) who underwent 24-hour ABPM between January 2009 and April 2013 were enrolled. Patients were divided into young (age ≤ 70 years, n = 927) and elderly (age > 70 years, n = 101) groups. Results: Compared to elderly group, young age group had higher clinic, 24-hour, daytime and night-time diastolic BP (DBP), higher clinic, 24-hour and daytime heart rate (HR), higher 24-hour and daytime HR variability (HRV), lower night-time systolic BP (SBP) and daytime SBP variability. In young age group, significant seasonal variation of clinic DBP and daytime SBP variability with a peak in autumn, and nighttime DBP and HR with a peak in spring and the increased prevalence of non-dippers in summer were observed. On the other hand, elderly group demonstrated seasonal variation of clinic, 24-hour, daytime and nighttime HR with a peak in autumn, daytime DBP with a peak in winter and night-time SBP variability with a peak in summer. Conclusions: There was an apparent seasonal variation of DBP, HR and SBP variability in both young and elderly hypertensive patients. However, elderly patients showed more pronounced seasonal change in HR compared to younger patients.

Objective To investigate the association between visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure and cognitive function in old age (>70 years). Design Prospective cohort study.Setting PROSPER (PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the...

Blood pressure (BP) variability is calculated as the standard deviation of ambulatory BP. Blood pressure variability is associated with the cardiovascular morbidity; however whether it is related to target organ damage is controversial. In this study we examined a possible relationship between the BP variability and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and between BP variability and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The present study was conducted on 111 consecutive Japanese hypertensive patients who were hospitalized for the educational program in our hospital under stable sodium chloride intake (6 g/day). Blood pressure measurements were at 30-minute intervals all day. In a multivariable analysis adjusted with confounding factor, LVH was associated with 24-hour systolic BP (SBP), 24 hour diastolic BP (DBP), daytime SBP, daytime DBP, nighttime SBP, and nighttime DBP. Additionally, nighttime DBP variability was related to LVH. By the same method, baPWV as a dependent variable was related to 24-hour SBP and nighttime SBP. Furthermore, nighttime SBP variability was concerned with baPWV. The LVH was associated with not only BP level but also with nighttime DBP variability. The baPWV was also related not only to BP level but also to nighttime SBP variability.

Background and Aim: Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has been associated with hypertension (HTN) and elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), but the possible implication of blood pressure (BP) variability in increasing hsCRP in T2DM are incompletely understood. We aimed to assess the association between hsCRP and BP variability during 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring in T2DM and healthy control subjects. Material and Method: The cross-sectional study included data from T2DM patients with normal BP (n=9), controlled HTN (n=46), uncontrolled HTN (n=20), and healthy controls (n=11). HsCRP was assessed using ELISA technique. All subjects underwent 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring; BP variability was calculated using standard deviation. Results: We found that hsCRP was associated with daytime and 24-hours systolic and diastolic BP variability. Higher hsCRP were observed in T2DM patients with uncontrolled HTN and high BP variability compared to the other three groups. In multiple regression analysis, hsCRP was predicted by daytime and 24-hour diastolic BP variability. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that high hsCRP was associated with increased ambulatory BP variability in T2DM and control subjects. The contribution of both hsCRP and BP variability to cardiovascular risk stratification in T2DM needs to be evaluated in prospective studies.

Variability of blood pressure (BP) is known as a prognostic value for the subsequent target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Arterial stiffness is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The relationship between the arterial stiffness and the BP variability has been controversial. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and home BP variability in patients with high normal BP and new onset hypertension (HTN).Four hundred sixty three patients (252 males, 49 ± 12 year-old) with high normal BP or HTN were enrolled. Using radial applanation tonometry, pulse wave analysis (PWA) was performed for evaluation of systemic arterial stiffness. All patients underwent both home BP monitoring (HBPM) and PWA. Home BP variability was calculated as the standard deviation (SD) of 7 measurements of HBPM. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to estimate and test the independent effects of home BP variability on the arterial stiffness.Mutivariate analysis showed that both systolic and diastolic morning BP variabilities were correlated with arterial stiffness expressed as augmentation pressure (AP, β-coefficient = 1.622, P = .01 and β-coefficient = 1.07, P = .035). The SDs of systolic and diastolic BP of evening were also associated with AP (β-coefficient = 1.843, P = .001 and β-coefficient = 1.088, P = .036). The SDs of morning and evening systolic BP were associated with augmentation index (AI, β-coefficient = 1.583, P = .02 and β-coefficient = 1.792, P = .001) and heart rate (75 bpm) adjusted AI (β-coefficient = 1.592, P = .001 and β-coefficient = 1.792, P = .001).In present study, the variability of systolic BP was closely related with arterial stiffness. The home BP variability might be important indicator of arterial stiffness.

The increasing use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) devices in the investigation of hypertension has allowed detailed study of the circadian rhythm of blood pressure variability, the assessment of resistant hypertension, and the syndrome of “white coat” hypertension. The relevance of ABPM to target-organ damage and the complications of hypertension, such as heart attacks and strokes, has only recently gained prominence. There are more than 30 cross-sectional studies that have linked ABPM to hypertensive target-organ damage, including left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH),1 2 microalbuminuria,3 hypertensive retinal changes, and cerebrovascular disease.4 The majority of these studies have consistently reported that patients with an absent or reduced fall in blood pressure at night (referred to as “nondippers”) have more severe target-organ damage, including LVH5 and cerebrovascular disease,4 6 when compared with patients who demonstrate a normal nocturnal fall in blood pressure. For example, Verdecchia et al,7 in a prospective cohort of over 1100 hypertensive patients, reported higher mortality rates both in nondippers and “reverse dippers” and higher cardiovascular morbidity rates in female nondippers compared with dippers.8 In addition, Yamamoto et al9 recently reported that progressive cerebrovascular disease, including silent ischemic lesions and symptomatic stroke, was associated with a reduced nocturnal blood pressure fall in patients with a history of lacunar infarction. In a cross-sectional study of patients admitted with acute stroke (ictus <12 hours), Lip at al10 reported that such patients could generally be classed as nondippers, with higher blood pressures recorded using ABPM (but not using casual manual measurements) in black/Afro-Caribbean patients and also in patients with hemorrhagic stroke. These studies therefore suggest the potential usefulness of ABPM in epidemiological, cohort, or cross-sectional studies and the assessment of ethnic differences, stroke subtypes, and prognosis. A nondipper status …

Objective To study the antihypertensive efficacy and influence on the blood pressure parameters of nifedipine GITS therapy in patients with subacute cerebral infarction with essential hypertension by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).Methods Fifty-one cases of subacute cerebral infarction with essential hypertension were treated with nifedipine GITS for 14 days.ABPM were performed in all cases before and after treatment.The blood pressure parameters of blood pressure variability (BPV),morning blood pressure surge(MBPS),Trough/Peak(T/P),and smoothness index(SI) were analyzed.Results (1) After treatment with nifedipine GITS 30 mg/d for two weeks,the average 24-hour systolic blood pressure (SBP),day-time systolic blood pressure (dSBP),night-time systolic blood pressure (nSBP),24-hour diastolic blood pressure (DBP),day-time diastolic blood pressure (dDBP),night-time diastolic blood pressure (nDBP) significantly decreased((144.70 ± 14.89) mm Hg vs (163.10 ± 16.48) mm Hg,(145.67 ± 15.20) mm Hg vs (164.55 ±16.81) mm Hg,(140.85 ± 19.46) mm Hg vs (156.73 ±20.55) mm Hg,(81.24 ±8.88) mm Hg vs(89.49 ± 10.06) mm Hg,(81.25 ±9.40) mm Hg vs (90.18 ± 10.64) mm Hg,(81.34 ± 12.10) mm Hg vs (86.28 ±12.11) mmHg;t=11.01,11.53,5.29,8.71,7.53,2.31;P＜0.05)).(2) Defining the standard deviation(SD) of average blood pressure as the indexes of BPV,the blood pressure variability of systolic blood pressure(SBPV),day-time systolic blood pressure variability (dSBPV),night-time systolic blood pressure (nSBPV) decreased significantly ((16.52 ± 4.38) mm Hg vs (19.78 ± 6.72) mm Hg,(15.45 ± 4.71)mm Hg vs (17.88 ± 7.25)mm Hg,(14.94 ± 5.89) mm Hg vs (19.17 ± 8.27) mm Hg; t =3.38,2.19,2.99 ;P ＜0.05)) and the diastolic blood pressure didn't change.(3) There was negative correlation between smoothness index (SI) and BPV (r =-0.28 ; P ＜ 0.05).(4) The decreases of morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) of SBP was more significant after treatment ((22.65 ± 12.77) mm Hg) than that before treatment ((31.94 ±16.36) mm Hg).(5) The median of T/P ratio calculated by group methods was 0.721 for SBP and 0.676 for DBP,and it was 0.588 ± 0.360 for SBP and 0.628 ± 0.433 for DBP calculated by individual method.The medians of T/P ratio were above 0.5 by both methods.Conclusion It is of great significance to effectively control blood pressure and BPV in patients with stroke.Nifedipine GITS can constantly release medicine;it can lower the blood pressure,and significantly reduce BPV and MBPS. Key words: Blood pressure variability ; Hypertensin ; Trough/Peak; Smoothness index; Nifedipine GITS; Cerebral infarction; Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Background. In recent years the deterioration of the demographic situation has been noted in most countries of the world that is due to the steady increase in population of arterial hypertension and the aging of the population. According to the statistical forecast of the UN by 2025, the number of people over 60 will exceed 1 billion which is 15% of the entire global population. In Ukraine, according to epidemiological studies, the prevalence of hypertension among circulatory system diseases in adults (18 years and older) is 46.8% and almost half of patients with circulatory system diseases have elevated blood pressure. In patients aged 65 years and older, the prevalence of hypertension varies in the range of 53-72%. It has long been proven that the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications in hypertensive patients depends not only on the absolute blood pressure level but also on fluctuations in blood pressure over different periods that is blood pressure variability. Blood pressure is not a static parameter but rather undergoes continuous fluctuations over time due to the interaction between environmental factors and behaviour on the one hand and the internal regulatory mechanisms of the cardiovascular system on the other hand. Elevated blood pressure may indicate cardiovascular dysregulation and itself may be a cardiovascular risk factor associated with increased all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality, stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, end-stage renal disease and incidence of dementia. Aim. The study aimed to improve the system of prevention and diagnosis of elderly and senior hypertensive patients at the ambulatory-polyclinic stage due to the study of the contribution of blood pressure variability. Materials and methods. The group of examinees was formed taking into account 27 elderly and senile hypertensive patients including those combined with coronary artery disease. For this purpose, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was used. Results. Systolic blood pressure variability (SD) in hypertensive patients was higher than in the control group (p&lt;0.001). So, during the study, SD was 17.9±7.1 mm Hg. while in the control group 12.1±2.6 mm Hg. The frequency of high blood pressure variability detection in elderly and senile hypertensive patients was 51.9% (n=14). High blood pressure variability compared to low blood pressure variability and control was associated with a more pronounced systolic blood pressure variability (during the active monitoring period), and it was equalled 23.7±5.2 mm Hg compared to 14.8±6.5 mm Hg (p&lt;0.001) and 12.1±2.6 mm Hg. (p&lt;0.001). In elderly and senile hypertensive patients with high and low blood pressure variability, the non-dipper group prevailed over the dipper group in the structure of daily blood pressure rhythm (71.4% vs. 28.6% and 84.6% vs. 15.4% respectively). According to the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring data high blood pressure variability group compared to low blood pressure variability and controls was characterised by higher average values of the number of blood pressure indicators. In the group of high blood pressure variability patients, the average daily systolic blood pressure exceeded the control value by 10% (р&lt;0.05). The daily index of systolic blood pressure in the group of high blood pressure variability patients was 111% higher than in patients with low blood pressure variability (p&lt;0.05). The daily index of diastolic blood pressure in the group of high blood pressure variability patients was 140% higher than in patients with low blood pressure variability (p&lt;0.05). The daily index of average blood pressure in the group of high blood pressure variability patients was 191% higher than in patients with low blood pressure variability (p&lt;0.01). Conclusions. 1. High blood pressure variability has occurred in 16 out of 27 (51.9%) hypertensive elderly and senile patients. 2. The non-dipper group has predominated in the structure of blood pressure diurnal rhythm in elderly and senile hypertensive patients with high and low blood pressure variability patients. _________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: arterial hypertension; essential hypertension; blood pressure variability; high blood pressure variability; low blood pressure variability; elderly and senile hypertensive patients

Evidence suggests a relationship between short-term blood pressure (BP) variability and cardiovascular target-organ damage. Although a blunted nocturnal decrease in BP and reduced heart rate variability have been shown to be associated with cardiovascular morbidity in diabetic patients, little information is available on short-term BP variability. In this study, short-term BP variability was assessed in 36 subjects with type 2 diabetes and overt nephropathy who underwent ambulatory BP monitoring, and the factors that correlated with short-term BP variability were examined. The incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) was significantly greater in the patients with increased 24-h systolic BP variability (67% versus 11%; p < 0.0005), while that of cerebrovascular disease was not significantly affected (61% versus 50%). Multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that serum cholesterol (cholesterol) and plasma norepinephrine (p-NE) were significant and independent contributors to nighttime systolic BP variability (partial R2 = 0.490, p < 0.001; partial R2 = 0.470, p < 0.001) and demonstrated that body mass index and p-NE were primary determinants of nighttime diastolic BP variability (partial R2 = 0.539, p < 0.0005; partial R2 = 0.304, p < 0.05). Diabetic nephropathy patients with CAD had significantly increased daytime systolic (17.8 mmHg versus 13.1 mmHg, p < 0.0005), nighttime systolic (17.4 mmHg versus 10.5 mmHg, p < 0.0001), and nighttime diastolic (10.4 mmHg versus 7.2 mmHg, p < 0.05) BP variability. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that nighttime systolic BP variability was an independent risk factor for CAD (odds ratio 3.13 [95% CI 1.02–9.61]; p < 0.05). The increase in nighttime BP variability is associated with a proportional sympathetic activation in diabetic nephropathy. Elevated short-term BP variability combined with relative sympathetic prevalence during the night might represent an important risk factor for cardiovascular events in the diabetic population.

Blood pressure variability (BPV) is a critical risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes and is associated with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS), which is diagnosed using digital subtraction angiography (DSA). However, the relationship between the degree of renal artery stenosis (d-RAS), diagnosed using renal artery contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and 24-hour ambulatory BPV in hospitalized patients with ARAS remains unclear. Hospitalized hypertensive patients were divided into ARAS and non-ARAS groups based RAS diagnoses using CEUS. The ARAS patients were further classified into unilateral and bilateral categories. Quantification of BPV over 24 hours, daytime, and nighttime utilized standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV). Percentage stenosis was used to evaluate d-RAS. Pearson's and multivariate beta regression analyses were used to assess correlations between BPV and d-RAS. We found that 24-hour systolic BPV (SBPV), presented as SD, CV, and ARV indices, was positively correlated with unilateral d-RAS (R1 = 0.460, p = 0.001; R1 = 0.509, p < 0.001; R1 = 0.677, p < 0.001, respectively). This correlation was consistent with the daytime SBPV (R1 = 0.512, p < 0.001; R1 = 0.539, p < 0.001; R1 = 0.678, p < 0.001, respectively) and daytime diastolic BPV (DBPV) (R1 = 0.379, p = 0.010; R1 = 0.397, p = 0.007; R1 = 0.319, p = 0.033, respectively). Similarly, 24-hour DBPV assessed by SD and CV also correlated positively with unilateral d-RAS (R1 = 0.347, p = 0.019; R1 = 0.340, p = 0.022, respectively), as did nighttime SBPV assessed by ARV indices (R1 = 0.415, p = 0.005). No significant correlations were found between BPV and bilateral d-RAS (p > 0.05). Multivariate beta regression analysis indicated that 24-hour SBPV (odds ratio [OR] = 1.035, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.054-1.607, p = 0.035) and daytime SBPV (OR = 1.033, 95% CI: 1.004-1.061, p = 0.023; both evaluated via AVR) were independent risk factors for d-RAS. SBPV is positively correlated with unilateral d-RAS at all time points. Both 24-hour and daytime SBPV (evaluated using ARV indices) were identified as independent d-RAS risk factors.

379 Effect of hospitalisation on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring values in children 10 to 16 years of age

Objective To investigate the correlation between 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (BP) variability and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods Consecutive inpatients with acute ischemic stroke were prospectively enrolled. 24-h ambulatory BP was monitored. Magnetic susceptibility-weighted imaging was used to evaluate CMBs and their locations. Univariate analysis was used to compare the baseline data between the CMBs group and the non-CMBs group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation between ambulatory BP related indexes and CMBs. Results A total of 178 patients with acute ischemic stroke were enrolled, including 114 males, aged 67.6±10.8 years, and 90 (50.6%) with CMBs. The proportion of hypertension and asymptomatic lacunar infarction, periventricular and deep white matter high signal score, 24-h, daytime, nighttime mean systolic and diastolic BP, 24-h, and daytime systolic BP variability in the CMBs group were significantly higher than those in the non-CMB group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that 24-h systolic BP variability (odds ratio 1.133, 95% confidence interval 1.023-1.255; P=0.016) and daytime mean systolic BP (odds ratio 1.045, 95% confidence interval 1.022-1.069; P<0.001) had significant independent correlation with CMBs. Conclusion 24-h systolic BP variability and daytime mean systolic BP were the independent risk factors for CMBs in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Key words: Stroke; Brain Ischemia; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Blood Pressure; Risk Factors