Who are the "non-dippers": an insight from the ambulatory monitoring of arterial pressure in heart transplant patients
Cugini, P.; Chiera, A.; Scibilia, G.; Laurenti, A.; Papalia, U.; Marino, B.; Voci, P.; Petrangeli, C.M.; Capodaglio, P.F.; Fontana, S.; Ranone, G.; Schiavone, R.
Recenti Progressi in Medicina 88(5): 212-216
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0034-1193 PMID: 9244955 Document Number: 476348
This study was performed in order to define who are the "non-dippers", knowing that their present definition does not imply any explanation about the mechanisms. The investigation was performed on 34 heart transplanted patients, 28 males (mean age 52 +/- 11 years) and 6 women (mean age 35 +/- 14 years), knowing that the "non-dippers" were described as the hypertensives who are devoid of the expected nocturnal fall in blood pressure (BP). The "non-dipping" phenomenon was investigated by exploring the BP 24-h pattern via ambulatory non-invasive BP monitoring, and by applying the rhythmometric analysis for quantifying the BP circadian rhythm. The study provided evidence that the "non-dippers" can be found among the hypertensives as well as the normotensives, suggesting that high BP is not a necessary condition for the "non-dipping" phenomenon, and vice versa. Both the normotensive and hypertensive "non-dippers" were seen to show stereotypic changes in BP circadian rhythm. There are normotensive and hypertensive "non-dippers" with or without the BP circadian rhythm. The "rhythmic non-dippers" show a BP circadian rhythm which is inverted in phase or demodulated in amplitude. The "non-dippers" are, thus, a heterogeneous category.