Prevalence of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients according to their circadian blood pressure rhythm A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: Arterial hypertension is regarded as a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases, which, due to their complications, can result in events associated with high morbidity and mortality. Circadian rhythm patterns contribute to increased cardiovascular risk, which can be detected through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).

Method: This study was a retrospective, observational, cross-sectional, and analytical analysis of the clinical histories of 149 patients aged between 50 and 60 years with a prior diagnosis of arterial hypertension. A bivariate analysis of the variables was conducted.

Results: The highest prevalence of the No Dipper pattern was 45.64% (68/149), followed by the Dipper pattern at 36.24% (54/149), the Riser pattern at 16.11% (24/149), and the Extreme Dipper pattern at 2.01% (3/149). Similarly, 81.21% (121/149) of participants were smokers, while 8.72% (13/149) exhibited nocturnal HTA. Patients without dippers were the most prevalent, with cardiovascular risks ranging from 5% to 10%.

Conclusions: No dipper or riser patterns were more closely related to increased cardiovascular risk, even though risk factors were found in all patterns. Their identification could help monitor and choose the appropriate therapy, identify low-cost tools that can be added to existing tools, and generate a high impact in the future in preventing cardiovascular events.