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"Blindness upon awakening" occurs in a significant proportion of patients with non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION). This observation has led to a notion that nocturnal hypotension is a significant contributor and, perhaps, the final insult in a multifactorial process leading to the development of NAION, as has been proposed in other ischemic events like strokes, myocardial infarction, and ischemic rest pain. An extension of this concept has led to the recommendation that patients who have experienced NAION avoid taking blood pressure medications at bedtime. However, mounting evidence in the cardiology literature suggests that nocturnal hyper tension is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity. In two prospective blood pressure monitoring studies in 1994 and 1999, Hayreh observed an extreme dipping pattern in nocturnal systolic blood pressure in NAION patients compared to reported normal values. Yet, two subsequent ambulatory blood pressure studies found either normal or non-dipping patterns in NAION patients. The majority of clinical trials published since 1976 that have studied nocturnal administration of antihypertensives have reported enhanced blood pressure control and reduced cardiovascular risk. Most notably, the large, prospective 2020 Hygia Chronotherapy Trial reported a statistically-significant beneficial effect of nocturnal antihypertensive dosing on cardiovascular outcomes and mortality. The controversy regarding nocturnal hypotension and NAION is of increasing relevance as there is new evidence to suggest a beneficial effect of nocturnal antihypertensive dosing in cardiovascular risk. This new information should prompt a re-evaluation of the relevant risk-to-benefit of reducing the risk of NAION on one hand, and the potential increase of cardiovascular risk on the other. Definitive resolution of this question would require a prospective, randomized control study with input from both cardiology and ophthalmology.

Aim: Although nocturnal hypotension is considered the key factor responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk associated with the extreme dipping (ED) pattern, no information is available on its prevalence in this setting. Therefore, we have assessed this topic in a cohort of patients referred to a single out-patient hypertension center., Methods: A large database of individual 24-hour ambulatory BP recordings from untreated individuals with a history of hypertension and treated individuals with hypertension was analyzed., Results: A total of 339 of 7,074 patients (4.5%) exhibited an ED pattern (207 had a nighttime reduction in both systolic and diastolic BP ≥ 20% compared to daytime values and 132 a nighttime reduction in diastolic BP ≥ 20%). Among patients with ED, the prevalence of nocturnal hypotension varied from 9.1% to 45.0% depending on the criteria used (i.e., mean nighttime BP < 90/50 mm Hg or < 100/60 mm Hg), and the prevalence of nocturnal hypertension (i.e., mean nighttime BP ≥ 120/70 mm Hg) was 19.5%. Compared with untreated patients, those taking antihypertensive drugs were more likely to have nocturnal hypotension and less likely to have nocturnal hypertension., Conclusions: Our findings support the view that ED pattern is a condition not always associated with nocturnal hypotension because a large fraction of ED patients has normal or elevated mean BP nocturnal values., (© American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2019. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Abstract: Background: We aimed to evaluate the presence of nocturnal hypotension (NHP) in ischemic stroke (IS) survivors using ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM). Methods: We included fifty consecutive patients presenting at our outpatient clinic for review and who had been discharged for IS in the previous six months. 24-h ABPM was performed with Spacelab 90207 monitor. NHP episodes were considered those values on which the mean arterial pressure (MAP)<70mm Hg. Patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of NHP. Results: We studied 31 men and 19 women, mean age 68±11years. Episodes of NHP were observed in 21 patients (42%). There were no significant differences with regard to clinical characteristics between groups. With regard to BP, patients with NHP had significantly lower mean 24-hour BPs, mean daytime BPs and mean nighttime BPs. Dipper pattern occurred more often in patients with NHP, although differences were only statistically significant in the diastolic BP values. Mean office readings were 142±26/77±13mm Hg (149±26 versus 133±20; P=0.06; 82±12 versus 71±12; P=0.008). None of the patients showed office SBP <90mmHg and only four had office DBP <60mmHg. Conclusions: Episodes of NHP in patients with recent IS are common and difficult to detect with clinical cuff measurements. It is necessary to redefine the target BP levels in secondary stroke prevention, possibly because we are subjecting our patients to increased risk of NHP and cerebral hypoperfusion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]