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BACKGROUND This study aims to explore the association between a healthy lifestyle and abnormal ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) in Chinese youths. METHODS A school-based sample of 1,296 college students was investigated. A lifestyle score was calculated by synthesizing 5 lifestyle factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and sleeping. The total score ranged from 0 to 5, with a higher score indicating a healthier lifestyle. This score was then divided into 3 categories representing low adherence to a healthy lifestyle (0–2), medium adherence (3), and high adherence (4–5). Abnormal 24-hour blood pressure (BP) was defined as systolic BP (SBP) ≥ 130 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP (DBP) ≥ 80 mm Hg. Abnormal daytime BP was determined as daytime SBP ≥ 135 mm Hg and/or DBP ≥ 85 mm Hg, while abnormal nighttime BP was characterized as nighttime SBP ≥ 120 mm Hg and/or DBP ≥ 70 mm Hg. We assessed the associations using the binomial regression model. RESULTS Mean age was 18.81 years, and 74.5% were women. The prevalence of abnormal 24-hour BP, daytime BP, and nighttime BP are 4.2%, 3.7%, and 9.0%, respectively. We found that participants with a high level of adherence to a healthy lifestyle had a significantly lower prevalence of abnormal 24-hour BP [prevalence ratios (PR) = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.48] and abnormal daytime BP (PR = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.52), when compared to those with a low level of adherence and after adjusting for the potential covariates. CONCLUSIONS A healthier lifestyle is associated with a better ambulatory BP profile among youths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isometric resistance training (IRT) has emerged as an efficacious therapeutic intervention to reduce ambulatory blood pressure (BP), and BP diurnal variability. However, once the required decreases in BP have been achieved the efficacy of implementing a reduced maintenance dose is not understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an 8-week maintenance period (8-week) following the cessation of the prescribed 8-week IRT in young normotensives. Twenty-two recreationally active, not resistance trained, normotensive (24-h ambulatory SBP, ≥130 mmHg) young adults were randomly assigned to a training-maintenance [TG-MT; n = 13 (female = 5); age 21 ± 2 years] or a non-training control [CON; n = 9 (female = 4); age 23 ± 3 years] group. Ambulatory BP, morning BP surge (MBPS) and average real variability (ARV) were measured prior to, after 8 weeks of bilateral leg IRT (4x2-minute contractions at 20% MVC with 2-min rest periods, 3 days/week) and following an 8-week (once per week) maintenance period. On completion of the maintenance period the significant reductions seen following the IRT were maintained within the TG-MT group in 24-h ambulatory SBP (6 ± 4 mmHg, p < 0.001), daytime (5 ± 5 mmHg, p = 0.002), MBPS (7 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.019) and 24-h SBP ARV (2.03 ± 1.44 mmHg, p = 0.001), daytime SBP ARV (2.04 ± 1.78 mmHg, p = 0.003). These results show that reductions in ambulatory BP (24-h SBP and daytime SBP), in addition to BP diurnal variations (MBPS, 24-h SBP ARV and daytime SBP AVR) are maintained following an 8-week maintenance dose in young adults and add further weight to the growing body of evidence promoting IRT as an efficacious therapeutic exercise intervention to prevent or reduce BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion To explore the impact of blood pressure on cognitive outcomes at 18 years of age in individuals born extremely preterm (<28 weeks' gestation) and at term (≥37 weeks' gestation).Prospective longitudinal cohort comprising 136 young adults born extremely preterm and 120 matched term controls born in Victoria, Australia in 1991 and 1992. Using linear regression, we analysed the relationships between 24‐h mean ambulatory blood pressure, systolic and diastolic hypertension with cognitive outcomes.For both birth groups combined, higher 24‐h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension were associated with similar or worse cognitive outcomes. The strongest relationships were between higher 24‐h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension with poorer general intellect, visual learning and visual memory. We found little evidence that relationships between ambulatory blood pressure and cognitive outcomes differed by birth group.Higher 24‐h mean ambulatory blood pressure and systolic hypertension were associated with poorer cognitive outcomes in individuals born extremely preterm and at term, particularly in general intelligence and visual memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This was a retrospective study. This study investigated the occurrence of a composite endpoints (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, end‐stage renal disease, and death) in 153 patients (aged ≥ 18 years) with a diagnosis of in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Based on morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) defined as ≥35 mm Hg, patients were divided into two groups: with MBPS (n = 50) and without MBPS (n = 103). All patients were followed up for at least 1 year. Baseline demographic, laboratory and follow‐up data were collected. The clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. The relationships between MBPS and endpoint events were analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model. In total, 153 patients (mean age 41.8 years; 56.86% males) were included in this study. During the follow‐up period (mean 4.3 years), 34 endpoint events occurred. After adjustment for the covariates, the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, end‐stage renal disease and death remained significantly higher in patients with MBPS (hazard ratio [HR] and 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.124 [1.096–9.130]]) Among the other variables, systolic blood pressure, and night‐time and daytime pulse pressures remained significantly associated with outcome in patients of CKD (1.789 [1.205–2.654], 1.710 [1.200–2.437], and 1.318 [1.096–1.586], respectively]. In conclusions, MBPS was identified as an independent prognostic factor for composite endpoint events (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, end‐stage renal disease and death) patients with chronic kidney disease patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Most hypertension Guidelines grade hypertension according to office blood pressure (BP) levels. • Although informative on diagnostic and therapeutic management, the prognostic value of hypertension grading is unclear. • We tested the prognostic impact of hypertension grading as suggested by the 2023 Guidelines of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). • Hypertension Grades 1 and 2 are not associated with a significantly different risk of cardiovascular disease after adjustment for concomitant risk factors and hypertensive organ damage. • Hypertension Grade 3 (office BP ≥180/110 mmHg) is independently associated with a higher cardiovascular risk in the absence of information about ambulatory BP. Most Hypertension Guidelines grade hypertension according to various cut-off values. We sought to investigate the prognostic impact of Grades 1 (140–159 and/or 90–99 mmHg), 2 (160–179 and/or 100–109 mmHg) and 3 (≥180 and/or ≥110 mmHg). We followed for an average of 10 years a cohort of 3,150 initially untreated hypertensive patients (mean age 50 years, 44 % women) with no previous cardiovascular disease at entry. All patients underwent diagnostic tests including 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring. At entry, average clinic BP was 156/97 mmHg and average 24-hour BP was 137/87 mmHg. During follow-up, 314 patients experienced a first major cardiovascular event (composite of non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke, cardiovascular death, or hospitalization for heart failure). Event rate was not formally dissimilar between Grade 1 and Grade 2 (0.73 vs 0.95 per 100 patient-years, respectively; p = 0.06). It was higher in Grade 3 (1.93 per 100 patient-years; p < 0.01 vs Grade 1 and Grade 2). After adjustment for a robust set of covariables, the hazard ratio was not dissimilar between Grade 1 and Grade 2 (p = 0.27), and higher in Grade 3 than in Grade 1 (p < 0.01), but the excess risk in Grade 3 was no longer significant (hazard ratio: 1.25, 95 % CI 0.87–1.78; p = 0.22) after adjustment for 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP. We were unable to find a significant difference in the relative hazard of cardiovascular events tied to hypertension Grades 1 and 2. Conversely, Grade 3 (clinic BP ≥180/110 mmHg) portends a higher cardiovascular risk, which is associated with higher levels of 24-hour ambulatory BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to identify the minimum number of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measures to accurately determine daytime and nighttime systolic blood pressure (BP) averages and nocturnal dipping status (i.e., relative daytime:nighttime change). A total of 43 midlife participants wore an ABP monitor for 24 h with measurements every 20/30 min during the daytime/nighttime, as identified by a sleep diary. We calculated daytime/nighttime systolic BP average and dipping status from all available measurements per participant (i.e., normative data). We then calculated daytime and nighttime BP per participant based on a random selection of 8–20 and 4–10 measurements and replicated random selections 1,000 times. We calculated accuracy by checking the proportion from 1,000 different randomly selected samples for a particular number of measurements that systolic BP was ±5 mmHg of normative data, and dipping status remained unchanged for each participant compared with the normative value. The best fit for the regression model estimated the minimal number of measurements for an accuracy of 95% in BP averages. For a 95% accuracy in estimating daytime and nighttime systolic BP, 11 daytime and 8 nighttime measurements were required. The highest accuracy for dipping status was 91.6 ± 13.4% using 20 daytime and 10 nighttime measures, while the lowest was (83.4 ± 15.1%) using 8 daytime and 4 nighttime measures. In midlife adults, 11 daytime and 8 nighttime measurements are likely enough to calculate average systolic BPs accurately. However, no minimum number is suggested to accurately calculate dipping status. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: We found that a minimum of 11 blood pressure (BP) measures are necessary to calculate an accurate average daytime BP, and 8 nighttime measures are necessary to calculate an accurate nighttime average if 95% accuracy is acceptable. Regarding BP dipping status, the current recommendations (20 daytime/7 nighttime) inaccurately classified the dipping status 10.5% of the time, suggesting that guidelines may need to be updated to classify patients as nocturnal dippers or nondippers correctly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Nighttime blood pressure (BP) has greater prognostic importance for cardiovascular disease (CVD) than daytime BP, but less is known about nighttime and daytime BP associations with measures of subclinical CVD. METHODS Among 897 Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial Study (SPRINT) participants with 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring obtained near the 27-month study visit, 849 (95%) had N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) measured at the 24-month study visit. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the associations of nighttime and daytime BP with cardiac biomarker levels. RESULTS The mean age was 69 ± 12 years, 28% were African American, and mean nighttime and daytime SBP were 121 ± 16 mm Hg and 132 ± 14 mm Hg, respectively. In multivariable models, compared with the lowest tertile of nighttime systolic BP, the highest tertile was associated with 48% higher NT-proBNP levels (adjusted geometric mean ratio [GMR] = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.79), and 19% higher hs-cTnT levels (adjusted GMR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.32). In contrast, the highest vs. lowest tertile of daytime systolic BP was not associated with NT-proBNP (adjusted GMR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.34), but was associated with 16% higher hs-cTnT levels (adjusted GMR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.30). Similar results were observed using diastolic BP. CONCLUSIONS In SPRINT, both higher nighttime and daytime BP were independently associated with higher hs-cTnT levels, but only higher nighttime BP was associated with higher NT-proBNP levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) risk factors can be transmitted from mothers to their children. However, it is challenging to measure and identify subclinical CV risk in young children using traditional CV risk methods and metrics. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of recruiting mother-child dyads and measuring arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity, augmentation index/pressure), blood pressure (BP), BP circadian pattern, specifically nocturnal BP dipping, and CV health metrics in mothers and in children aged 1 to 5 years. Methods: All BP and arterial stiffness measures were obtained using the noninvasive automated oscillometric Mobil-O-Graph device. Also measured were blood cholesterol level; glucose level; body mass index (BMI); and smoking, diet, and physical activity history. Descriptive statistics were used for assessing recruitment feasibility and Pearson correlations for mother-child associations. Results: Thirty-five mother-child dyads completed the protocol. Recruitment reach was 89% and retention rate was 80%. Mothers were 34.3 ± 5.4 years old with a mean systolic BP (SBP) of 114.6 ± 9.5 mm Hg and BMI of 26.0 ± 6.5. Children were 3 ± 1.4 years old with a mean SBP of 103.3 ± 9.4 mm Hg and BMI z -scores of −0.3 ± 1.5. Arterial stiffness parameters were within normal ranges for mothers and children. Twenty-three percent of mothers did not exhibit nocturnal dipping (<10% decrease between day and nighttime SBP). Maternal SBP was positively correlated with child BMI z -scores (r = 0.42, P =.022) as well as mother-child augmentation pressure (r = 0.51, P =.010). Conclusions: Our findings support using a mother-child approach and novel noninvasive approaches to assess and target CV risk in mothers and their young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background For youths, abnormalities in ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) patterns are known to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk and potential target organ damage. Body composition, including indicators such as lean mass index (LMI), fat mass index (FMI), and visceral fat level (VFL), plays a significant role in blood pressure (BP) regulation. However, little is known about the association between these body composition indicators and ABP. Therefore, the present study examined the association between these body composition indicators and BP among Chinese youths. Methods A total of 477 college students aged 17 to 28 years old (mean ± Standard deviation = 18.96 ± 1.21) from a university in Changsha, Hunan Province, China, were included in this study. Body composition indicators were measured with a bioelectrical impedance body composition analyzer, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was conducted. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the relationship between body composition indicators and abnormal ABP. Results The prevalence of abnormal BP, including 24-hour BP, daytime BP, nighttime BP, and clinic BP, were 4.8%, 4.2%, 8.6%, and 10.9%, respectively. After adjusting for potential covariates, LMI [abnormal 24-hour BP (OR = 1.85, 95%CI:1.31, 2.62), abnormal daytime BP (OR = 1.76, 95%CI:1.21, 2.58), abnormal nighttime BP (OR = 1.64, 95%CI:1.25, 2.14), abnormal clinic BP (OR = 1.84, 95%CI:1.38, 2.45)], FMI [abnormal 24-hour BP (OR = 1.20, 95%CI:1.02, 1.41), abnormal daytime BP (OR = 1.30, 95%CI:1.07, 1.57), abnormal nighttime BP (OR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.10, 1.39), abnormal clinic BP (OR = 1.42, 95%CI:1.22, 1.65)], and VFL [abnormal 24-hour BP (OR = 1.22, 95%CI:1.06, 1.39), abnormal daytime BP (OR = 1.29, 95%CI:1.10, 1.51), abnormal nighttime BP (OR = 1.24, 95%CI:1.12, 1.39), abnormal clinic BP (OR = 1.38, 95%CI:1.21, 1.57)] are positively linked to abnormal BP. Additionally, there were significant sex differences in the association between body composition and abnormal BP. Conclusions Our findings suggested maintaining an individual’s appropriate muscle mass and fat mass and focusing on the different relations of males’ and females’ body composition is crucial for the achievement of appropriate BP profiles.

Background The control rate for patients with hypertension remains suboptimal, with hypertensive patients experiencing a lower quality of life compared to healthy individuals. Enhancing life quality and lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension through behavioral interventions is currently a critical area of research. Theoretical-based behavioral interventions are shown to be more effective and sustainable in modifying the behaviors of hypertensive patients. The Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and Behavior Change Techniques (BCTs) are widely utilized in the management of chronic diseases globally to maximize the exploration of modifiable factors. Nevertheless, in the domestic context, studies on the impact of BCW and BCTs-driven behavioral interventions on the ambulatory blood pressure and quality of life of hypertensive patients are relatively limited, indicating a need for more comprehensive research. Objective This study aims to develop and evaluate the intervention based on BCW and BCTs, focusing on its impact on behavior, ambulatory blood pressure, and quality of life in hypertensive patients. Methods From December 2021 to August 2022, a hundred hypertensive patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected as study participants. They were allocated into an intervention group and a control group using a simple randomization method, with each group comprising fifty participants. Patients in the control group received conventional outpatient medication and health education lifestyle guidance. In contrast, patients in the intervention group was treated with standard medication supplemented by the BCW and BCTs-based intervention guidance.Before and after the intervention, assessments were conducted using the Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale, the Chinese Version of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the General Anxiety Disorder-7, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and the 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey. The study examined changes in behavioral indicators, results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and quality of life pre- and post-intervention. Results The results indicated that after the intervention, the intervention group exhibited significantly higher levels of hypertension knowledge, medication adherence, quality of life scores, proportions of high medication adherence and engagement in moderate physical activity compared to the control group (P

Abstract Background African Americans and those of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are at disproportionate risk for hypertension- and cardiovascular-disease-related mortality relative to their counterparts. Progress in reducing these disparities is slowed by the facts that these disparities are difficult to mitigate in older adults and early origins of these disparities are poorly understood. The Social Status Adversity and Health in Daily Life Moments Study aims to precisely understand the proximal cognitive-emotional mechanisms by which unique social exposures disproportionately impacting these populations influence blood pressure (BP) parameters early in the lifespan and determine which individuals are more at risk. Methods The study uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring to assess race- and SES-based factors as they manifest in daily life moments alongside simultaneously manifesting cognitive-emotional states and ABP. A sample of 270 healthy African Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 is being recruited to complete two periods of 2-day, 2-night hourly ABP monitoring alongside hourly EMA assessments of socioeconomic strain, unfair treatment, and neighborhood strain during the waking hours. ABP data will be used to calculate ecologically valid measures of BP reactivity, variability, and nocturnal dipping. Other measures include actigraphy equipment worn during the monitoring period and comprehensive assessment of behavioral and psychosocial risk and resilience factors. Multilevel and multiple linear regression analyses will examine which momentary social adversity exposures and cognitive-emotional reactions to these exposures are associated with worse BP parameters and for whom. Discussion This is the first time that this research question is approached in this manner. The Social Status Adversity and Health in Daily Life Moments Study will identify the cognitive-emotional mechanisms by which the most impactful race- and SES-based exposures influence multiple BP parameters in African American emerging adults. Further, it will identify those most at risk for the health impacts of these exposures. Achievement of these aims will shape the field’s ability to develop novel interventions targeting reduction of these exposures and modification of reactions to these exposures as well as attend to those subpopulations most needing intervention within the African American emerging adult population.

BACKGROUND: Negative interpersonal interactions are associated with acute increases in ambulatory blood pressure (ABP). Yet, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are unclear. PURPOSE: This study tested whether negative interpersonal interactions predict higher ABP both in the moment and during subsequent observations, and whether increases in negative mood mediate these relations. These associations were tested among Black and Hispanic urban adults who may be at higher risk for negative interpersonal interactions as a function of discrimination. Race/ethnicity and lifetime discrimination were tested as moderators. METHODS: Using a 24-hr ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design, 565 Black and Hispanic participants (aged 23-65, M = 39.06, SD = 9.35; 51.68% men) had their ABP assessed every 20 min during daytime accompanied by an assessment of negative interpersonal interactions and mood. This produced 12,171 paired assessments of ABP and self-reports of participants interpersonal interactions, including how much the interaction made them feel left out, harassed, and treated unfairly, as well as how angry, nervous, and sad they felt. RESULTS: Multilevel models revealed that more intense negative interpersonal interactions predicted higher momentary ABP. Mediation analyses revealed that increased negative mood explained the relationship between negative interpersonal interactions and ABP in concurrent and lagged analyses. Discrimination was associated with more negative interpersonal interactions, but neither race/ethnicity nor lifetime discrimination moderated findings. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide a clearer understanding of the psychobiological mechanisms through which interpersonal interactions influence cardiovascular health and may contribute to health disparities. Implications include the potential for just-in-time interventions to provide mood restoring resources after negative interactions.

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with high blood pressure that responds poorly to usual antihypertensive therapy. Methods and results Forty-one subjects with OSA had 25% higher plasma norepinephrine and 42% higher epinephrine measured every 2 h over 24 h than 20 control subjects. They also excreted more sodium during sleep. This suggested that that a sympatholytic would be a more successful antihypertensive than a diuretic. To test this hypothesis we treated a second group of 23 hypertensive apneics with placebo, 6 weeks of the sympatholytic guanfacine and 6 weeks of hydrochlorothiazide in a crossover study. Guanfacine lowered 24-hour blood pressure by 9.6/6.7 mmHg, more than the 5.4/2.9 mmHg effect of hydrochlorothiazide (P

Background: The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) is an indirect measure of blood pressure variability and arterial stiffness which are atrial fibrillation (AF) risk factors. The relationship between AASI and AF development has not been previously investigated and was the primary aim of this study. Methods: This was an observational cohort study of adults (aged 18–85 years) in sinus rhythm, who underwent 24‐h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for the diagnosis of hypertension or its control. Results: Eight hundred and twenty‐one patients (49% men) aged 58.7 ± 15.3 years were followed up for a median of 4.0 years (3317 patient‐years). In total, 75 patients (9.1%) developed ≥1 AF episode during follow‐up. The mean AASI was 0.46 ± 0.17 (median 0.46). AASI values (0.52 ± 0.16 vs. 0.45 ± 0.17; p <.001) and the proportion of AASI values above the median (65.3% vs. 48.4%; p =.005) were greater among the patients who developed AF versus those that did not respectively. AASI significantly correlated with age (r =.49; 95% confidence interval: 0.44–0.54: p <.001). On Kaplan–Meier analysis, higher baseline AASI by median, tertiles, and quartiles were all significantly associated with AF development (X2: 10.13; p <.001). On Cox regression analyses, both a 1‐standard deviation increase and AASI > median were independent predictors of AF, but this relationship was no longer significant when age was included in the model. Conclusions: AASI is an independent predictor of AF development. However, this relationship becomes insignificant after adjustment for age which is higher correlated with AASI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low-sodium (LS) salt substitution is recognized for its potential to reduce blood pressure (BP), but most research relies on office BP measurement (OBPM). There is a lack of data on salt substitution's effect on target organs, such as the kidney as measured by the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and its impact on inflammatory cytokines, particularly high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). To evaluate the effect of LS salt substitution on ambulatory BP measurement (ABPM), kidney function, and inflammation in middle-aged and elderly hypertensive patients. Methods: In this 12-month prospective, multi-center, randomized, double-blind study, 352 hypertensive patients were randomly assigned to the normal salt (NS) group (n = 176) or the LS group (n = 176) at a 1:1 ratio. ABPM, fasting blood, and morning first spot urine samples were obtained at baseline and the endpoint. Results: Of the 352 patients, 322 completed all follow-up surveys, and 301 underwent ABPM. In the LS roup, significant reductions were observed in 24-hr systolic BP (- 2.3 mmHg), 24-hr diastolic BP (-1.5 mmHg), daytime systolic BP (-2.6 mmHg), daytime diastolic BP (-1 mmHg), and nighttime systolic BP (-0.1 mmHg) compared to the NS group (all p < 0.05). However, the change in nighttime diastolic BP was not statistically significant (-0.3 vs. 1.1 mmHg, p = 0.063). Additionally, the LS group showed a more substantial decrease in UACR (-2.05 vs. -7.40 µg/mg, p = 0.004) and hs-CRP (-0.06 vs. -0.24 mg/L, p = 0.048) compared to NS. Conclusions: LS salt substitution significantly decreased ABPM, suggesting a notable impact on hypertension. Furthermore, it demonstrated a protective impact on kidney function, as evidenced by changes in UACR. Additionally, LS salt substitution appeared to reduce inflammation, indicated by the decrease in hs-CRP levels. Clinical Trial Registration: The study was registered in the Chinese clinical trial registry (registration number: ChiCTR1800019727). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isometric resistance training (IRT) has emerged as an efficacious therapeutic intervention to reduce ambulatory blood pressure (BP), and BP diurnal variability. However, once the required decreases in BP have been achieved the efficacy of implementing a reduced maintenance dose is not understood. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an 8-week maintenance period (8-week) following the cessation of the prescribed 8-week IRT in young normotensives. Twenty-two recreationally active, not resistance trained, normotensive (24-h ambulatory SBP, ≥130 mmHg) young adults were randomly assigned to a training-maintenance [TG-MT; n = 13 (female = 5); age 21 ± 2 years] or a non-training control [CON; n = 9 (female = 4); age 23 ± 3 years] group. Ambulatory BP, morning BP surge (MBPS) and average real variability (ARV) were measured prior to, after 8 weeks of bilateral leg IRT (4x2-minute contractions at 20% MVC with 2-min rest periods, 3 days/week) and following an 8-week (once per week) maintenance period. On completion of the maintenance period the significant reductions seen following the IRT were maintained within the TG-MT group in 24-h ambulatory SBP (6 ± 4 mmHg, p < 0.001), daytime (5 ± 5 mmHg, p = 0.002), MBPS (7 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.019) and 24-h SBP ARV (2.03 ± 1.44 mmHg, p = 0.001), daytime SBP ARV (2.04 ± 1.78 mmHg, p = 0.003). These results show that reductions in ambulatory BP (24-h SBP and daytime SBP), in addition to BP diurnal variations (MBPS, 24-h SBP ARV and daytime SBP AVR) are maintained following an 8-week maintenance dose in young adults and add further weight to the growing body of evidence promoting IRT as an efficacious therapeutic exercise intervention to prevent or reduce BP.

This article presents the findings of a pilot trial on baroreflex activation therapy (BAT) for individuals with resistant hypertension (RH). RH refers to the inability to achieve a target blood pressure despite using multiple antihypertensive drugs. BAT involves using an implant to stimulate baroreceptors and lower blood pressure. The study found that BAT effectively reduced both ambulatory and home blood pressure in individuals with RH, with no serious adverse events reported. However, due to the small sample size, larger trials are needed to confirm these results. The article also provides information on hypertension, its prevalence, impact, risk factors, complications, and the importance of early detection and management. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract Background Automated measurement of blood pressure (BP) in designated BP kiosks have in recent years been introduced in primary care. If kiosk blood pressure (BP) monitoring provides results equivalent to in-office BP or daytime ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), follow-up of adult patients could be managed primarily by self-checks. We therefore designed a comparative trial and evaluated the diagnostic performance of kiosk- and office-based BP (nurse- versus physician-measured) compared with daytime ABPM. Methods A trial of automated BP monitoring in three settings: a designated BP kiosk, by nurses and physicians in clinic, and by ABPM. The primary outcome was systolic and diastolic BP, with respective diagnostic thresholds of ≥135 mmHg and/or ≥ 85 mmHg for daytime ABPM and kiosk BP and ≥ 140 mmHg and/or ≥ 90 mmHg for office BP (nurse- and physician-measured). Results Compared with daytime ABPM, mean systolic kiosk BP was higher by 6.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8–8.6) and diastolic by 7.9 mmHg (95% CI 6.2–9.6; p

Objective: To observe the efficacy of different combinations of antihypertensive drugs in patients with nocturnal hypertension (NH), and provide reference for clinical work. Methods: A cross-sectional study was used to collect clinical data of NH patients diagnosed through ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during physical examinations at the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Medicine from January 2021 to December 2022. According to the different motheds of medication treatment for patients, NH patients were divided into single-drug group, dual-drug group and multi-drug group.Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/ angiotensin Ⅱ receptor antagonist (ARB) or calcium antagonist was used in single-drug group, ACEI/ARB combined with calcium antagonist were used in double-drug group, and any three or four combinations of ACEI/ARB, calcium antagonists, β-blockers and diuretics were used in multi-drug group. The clinical data of the three groups of patients were analyzed and compared. Results: There were 829 patients with NH, including 294 cases (35.46%) in single-drug group, 400 cases (48.25%) in dual-drug group and 135 cases (16.29%) in multiple-drug group. After 6 months of drug treatment, the nocturnal systolic blood pressure (NSBP) and nocturnal diastolic blood pressure (NDBP) of patients in single-drug group, dual-drug group and multi-drug group showed significant differences compared to before treatment (P＜0.05)，among them, the NSBP and NDBP of patients in dual-drug group were significantly lower than those in single-drug group and multi-drug group, but there was no significant difference between the latter two groups (P＞0.05). The decreases in NSBP and NDBP in dual-drug group (21.75%, 20.06%) were greater than those in single-drug group (17.60%, 15.26%) and multi-drug group (18.23%, 16.51%, P＜0.05), respectively. Conclusion: All three motheds of medication treatment can effectively control nocturnal blood pressure, but ACEI/ARB combined with calcium antagonist are more effective in lowering nocturnal blood pressure.

Objective: Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy are a significant cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. White coat hypertension (WCH) is a hypertensive disease characterized by an increased clinic blood pressure but normal home or workplace blood pressure. Due to variable prevalence, a subset of women with WCH may be incorrectly diagnosed with chronic hypertension, highlighting the need for accurate diagnosis. Little is known about the role of WCH in pregnancy, but a meta-analysis aims to determine whether WCH increases the likelihood of developing preeclampsia. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether there is an association between WCH and the incidence of preeclampsia in pregnant women. The search included PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases until February 2023, using PRISMA guidelines. Pregnant women with apparent office hypertension throughout pregnancy who underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring or home blood pressure monitoring were included. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan. Results: This study included 12 studies with a total of 4,672 pregnant women and found that women with WCH have a higher risk of developing preeclampsia compared to normotensive women (RR: 2.29, 95% CI [1.18,4.43], P = 0.01). However, when compared with pregnant women with gestational hypertension or chronic hypertension, women with WCH had a significantly lower risk of developing preeclampsia ((RR: 0.39, [0.20,0.80], p=0.009) and (RR: 0.41, [0.27,0.62], P<0.001), respectively). Conclusion: The study recommends incorporating 24-hour ABPM into clinical practice to differentiate between chronic hypertension and WCH in early pregnancy and focus on special management for those who need it. The findings may guide future research on ABPM's role in diagnosing WCH and its effects on pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although a number of pathophysiological aspects of childhood obesity have been reported, few information are available on obesity-related cardiac organ damage. Aim: The present study was aimed at assessing the impact of anthropometric, blood pressure (BP) and metabolic variable on cardiac structure and function in youth. Methods: In 78 subjects aged 5–16 years attending the outpatient clinic of cardiovascular risk (Valencia, Spain) anthropometric and metabolic variables, clinic and ambulatory BP and echocardiographic parameters were assessed. Subjects were also classified according to the presence of insulin resistance. Results: Subjects mean age (± SD) amounted to 12.03 ± 2.4 years and males to 53.8%. Ten subjects were normoweight, 11 overweight, 39 obese, and 18 severely obese. No significant difference in office and ambulatory BP was detected among different bodyweight groups. A significant direct correlation was observed between left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and obesity markers [body mass index (BMI): r = 0.38, waist circumference (WC): r = 0.46, P < 0.04 for both]. Left ventricular hypertrophy, relative wall thickness and left atrial diameter were significantly related to BMI and WC. In contrast, office and ambulatory BP were unrelated to other variables, and differences in LVMI among different BP phenotypes were not significant. When partitioning the population by insulin resistance, LVMI, adjusted for confounders, was significantly greater in the insulin-resistant group. Conclusions: In children and adolescents characterized by different body weight patterns, weight factors "per se" and the related insulin resistance state appear to represent the main determinants of LVMI and left ventricular hypertrophy, independently on BP values and BP phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: High levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in patients with acromegaly cause structural and functional changes specific to the disease. These changes lead to mortality if the disease is not treated. Circadian blood pressure (BP) rhythm as measured by 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can change with a decrease in BP during sleep and a sudden increase in wakefulness. Aim: We aim to evaluate the relationship between changes in BP and IGF-1 levels in patients with acromegaly. Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with acromegaly and the patient group with hypertension were included. Serum biochemistry parameters, serum IGF-1 level and ABPM follow-ups were compared in these patients. Results: In our study, 30 patients with acromegaly and 30 patients with hypertension without acromegaly were included. Thirty of the patients were male and 30 were female. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of IGF-1(p = < 0.001) and GH(p = 0.004). There was no significant difference between patients' office systolic/diastolic BP measurements, day/night, systolic/diastolic BP measurements and all systolic/diastolic BP measurements in ambulatory blood pressure follow-ups. There was a significant difference in morning blood pressure surge(p = < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the acromegaly patient groups with MBPS below and above 25 mmHg in terms of IGF-1 (p = 0.025) and platelet levels (p = 0.004). Conclusion: As a result, cardiovascular disease risks can be predicted in patients with high serum IGF-1 levels by planning ambulatory blood pressure in the early period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The shared provider responsibility between married couples does not translate to equally shared division of childcare (CC) and household labor. While some marriages contain highly positive aspects, marriages may also simultaneously contain both positive and negative aspects. The negativity in these relationships can negate the positivity and could potentially lead to the detriment of mothers' health. Purpose We examined mothers' ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) associated with their marital relationship quality and perceived equity with her spouse on CC and household tasks. Methods We investigate these associations using a mixed multilevel model analysis on a sample of 224 mothers in heterosexual marriages, all of whom had children under the age of 18 years currently living in the home. Results Mothers' perception of equity in the division of CC responsibilities contributed to lower ABP. Additionally, mothers in supportive marital relationships (low negativity and high positivity) had lower ABP than those in ambivalent relationships (both high negativity and positivity). There was a crossover interaction such that the effect of relationship quality on ABP was moderated by the perception of equity in the division of CC. For mothers who report doing all the CC, they had lower ABP if they had a supportive marital relationship compared with mothers in ambivalent relationships. Whereas mothers who report more equity in CC and have a supportive relationship have higher ABP compared with mothers in ambivalent relationships. Conclusions This study has implications related to dynamics within marital relationships. These results demonstrate important relational influences on mothers' ABP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood pressure (BP) follows a circadian rhythm intertwined with the sleep-wake cycle. Acute partial sleep deprivation (PSD; sleep = 6 h) can increase BP, associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Acute exercise can reduce BP for up to 24 h, a phenomenon termed postexercise hypotension. The present study tested whether aerobic exercise could mitigate the augmented 24-h ambulatory BP caused by acute PSD. Twenty-four young otherwise healthy adults (22 ± 3 yr; 14 females; selfreported chronotypes: 6 early/10 intermediate/8 late; Pittsburgh sleep quality index: 17 good/7 poor sleepers) completed a randomized crossover trial in which, on different days, they slept normally (2300-0700), restricted sleep [0330-0700 (PSD)], and cycled for 50 min (70-80% predicted heart rate maximum) before PSD. Ambulatory BP was assessed every 30 min until 2100 the next day. Acute PSD increased 24-h systolic BP (control 117 ± 9 mmHg, PSD 122 ± 9 mmHg; P < 0.001) and prior exercise attenuated (exercise þ PSD 120 ± 9 mmHg; P = 0.04 vs. PSD) but did not fully reverse this response (exercise þ PSD, P = 0.02 vs. control). Subgroup analysis revealed that the 24-h systolic BP reduction following exercise was specific to late types (PSD 119 ± 7 vs. exercise þ PSD 116 ± 6 mmHg; P < 0.05). Overall, habitual sleep quality was negatively correlated with the change in daytime systolic BP following PSD (r = -0.56, P < 0.01). These findings suggest that the ability of aerobic cycling exercise to counteract the hemodynamic effects of acute PSD in young adults may be dependent on chronotype and that habitual sleep quality can predict the daytime BP response to acute PSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests that a hypertensive response to exercise (HRE) during dynamic or isometric stress tests assessing cardiac function is predictive of hypertension and cardiovascular events such coronary artery disease, heart failure and stroke. Whether HRE represents a marker of masked hypertension (MH) in individuals with no prior history of hypertension is still unclear. This is also the case for the association between MH and hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) in the HRE setting. METHODS We addressed this issue through a review and a meta-analysis of studies providing data on this topic in normotensive individuals undergone both to dynamic or static exercise and to 24-h blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). A systematic search was performed using Pub-Med, OVID, EMBASE and Cochrane library databases from inception up to February 28th 2023. RESULTS Six studies including a total of 1,155 untreated clinically normotensive individuals were considered for the review. Data provided by the selected studies can be summarized as follows: (i) HRE is a BP phenotype linked to a high prevalence of MH (27.3% in the pooled population); (ii) MH is, in turn, associated with a greater, consistent likelihood of echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (OR: 4.93, CI: 2.16–12.2, P  < 0.0001) and vascular organ damage, as assessed by pulse wave velocity, (SMD: 0.34 ± 0.11, CI: 0.12–0.56, P  = 0002). CONCLUSIONS On the basis of this, albeit limited, evidence, the diagnostic work-up in individuals with HRE should primarily be addressed to look for MH as well as for markers of HMOD, a highly prevalent alteration in MH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Automated measurement of blood pressure (BP) in designated BP kiosks have in recent years been introduced in primary care. If kiosk blood pressure (BP) monitoring provides results equivalent to in-office BP or daytime ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM), follow-up of adult patients could be managed primarily by self-checks. We therefore designed a comparative trial and evaluated the diagnostic performance of kiosk- and office-based BP (nurse- versus physician-measured) compared with daytime ABPM. Methods: A trial of automated BP monitoring in three settings: a designated BP kiosk, by nurses and physicians in clinic, and by ABPM. The primary outcome was systolic and diastolic BP, with respective diagnostic thresholds of ≥135 mmHg and/or ≥ 85 mmHg for daytime ABPM and kiosk BP and ≥ 140 mmHg and/or ≥ 90 mmHg for office BP (nurse- and physician-measured). Results: Compared with daytime ABPM, mean systolic kiosk BP was higher by 6.2 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.8–8.6) and diastolic by 7.9 mmHg (95% CI 6.2–9.6; p < 0.001). Mean systolic BP taken by nurses was similar to daytime ABPM values (+ 2.0 mmHg; 95% CI − 0.2–4.2; p = 0.071), but nurse-measured diastolic values were higher, by 7.2 mmHg (95% CI 5.9–9.6; p < 0.001). Mean systolic and diastolic physician-measured BPs were higher compared with daytime ABPM (systolic, by 7.6 mmHg [95% CI 4.5–10.2] and diastolic by 5.8 mmHg [95% CI 4.1–7.6]; p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves of BP monitoring across pairs of systolic/diastolic cut-off levels among the three settings, with daytime ABPM as reference, demonstrated overall similar diagnostic performance between kiosk and nurse-measured values and over the curve performance for physician-measured BP. Accuracy with nurse-measured BP was 69.2% (95% CI 60.0–77.4%), compared with 65.8% (95% CI 56.5–74.3%) for kiosk BP. Conclusions: In this study kiosk BP monitoring was not comparable to daytime ABPM but could be an alternative to in-office BP monitoring by trained nurses. The diagnostic performance of kiosk and nurse-measured BP monitoring was similar and better than that of physician-measured BP. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04488289) 27/07/2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectivesThe association between vitamin D and blood pressure in elderly patients with hypertension complicated by osteoporosis remains unclear. The objective of this study is to explore whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to elevated blood pressure in elderly individuals with both hypertension and osteoporosis.MethodsThis study represents a single-center retrospective observational investigation carried out at the Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Xiamen University. Ambulatory blood pressure, bone density, vitamin D levels, and additional laboratory parameters were collected upon admission. The association between vitamin D and ambulatory blood pressure outcomes was assessed using Spearman correlation tests and partial correlation analyses. The relationship between vitamin D and changes in blood pressure was analyzed through Generalized Additive Models, and threshold analysis was conducted to explore potential thresholds.Results139 patients with newly diagnosed osteoporosis were consecutively included (mean age 73 years, 84.9% female). There is a negative correlation between 25-(OH) D3 and 24 h mean systolic blood pressure (mSBP), diurnal mSBP, nocturnal mSBP, maximum SBP, respectively. The results of the generalized additive model analysis show that there is a nonlinear relationship between 25-(OH) D3 and 24 h mSBP, diurnal mSBP, nocturnal mSBP, respectively. After determining the critical point of 25-(OH) D3 as 42 nmol/L, a segmented linear regression model was used to calculate the effect size and 95% confidence interval on both sides of the critical point. When 25-(OH) D3 is ≤42 nmol/L, it significantly negatively correlates with 24 h, diurnal, and nocturnal mean SBP. Conversely, when 25-(OH) D3 exceeds 42 nmol/L, there is no statistically significant association with 24 h, diurnal, or nocturnal mSBP.ConclusionThere was a significant negative correlation between vitamin D levels and blood pressure levels in elderly patients with hypertension and osteoporosis.

(1) Background: Lifestyle changes, eventually coupled with a nutraceutical, are recommended strategies for managing high–normal blood pressure (BP) patients with low–moderate cardiovascular (CV) risk. In a real-life clinical setting, we evaluated the effects of generic written lifestyle advice, extrapolated from the 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines, and a beetroot-based nutraceutical on 24 h BP in a population with a high–normal office BP and low–moderate CV risk. (2) Methods: A longitudinal observational study was conducted in two ESH Hypertension Excellence Centres on 43 consecutive subjects with high–normal BP according to repeated office BP (OBP) measurements and a low–moderate CV risk based on SCORE2/SCORE2-OP. Additionally, 24 h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was carried out at baseline and three months after lifestyle changes, according to generic written advice from the 2018 ESC/ESH guidelines, coupled with a nutraceutical containing 500 mg of dry beetroot extract. (3) Results: The mean age was 50 ± 11 years, with male prevalence (54%). The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 58%. The mean OBP was 135 ± 3/85 ± 3 mmHg. At baseline, the mean 24 h BP, daytime BP, and night-time BP were 127 ± 7/80 ± 6 mmHg, 131 ± 8/83 ± 6 mmHg, and 118 ± 8/70 ± 5 mmHg, respectively, BP profiles compatible with hypertension status in some subjects. After a median follow-up of 98 (92–121) days, all BPs, except night-time diastolic BP, were significantly decreased: −3 ± 6/−2 ± 4 mmHg for 24 h BP, −3.9 ± 6.0/−3.0 ± 4.0 mmHg for daytime BP, and −3.3 ± 7.4/−1.3 ± 4.7 mmHg for night-time BP, respectively. No significant clinical changes in body weight were detected. BP decreased independently of baseline BP levels, sex, smoking status, and body mass index, while a more substantial BP decrease was observed in older patients. (4) Conclusions: Our exploratory study shows, for the first time, that written generic lifestyle advice taken from the ESC/ESH hypertension guidelines coupled with a beetroot-based nutraceutical may represent a valid initial non-pharmacological approach in subjects with a high–normal office BP and low–moderate CV risk, even without personalized diet interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor and the most common chronic disease. Being far from the targeted level in diagnosis and treatment has led to frequent questioning of measurement methods. Although out-of-office measurements are gaining prominence, the reliability and clinical effects of office and out-of-office measurement methods are open to question in terms of both usability and correlation. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the correlation of ambulatory, home, and office measurements and their clinical implications in hypertensive patients. Material and Method: We evaluated out-of-office blood pressure measurements of patients who were followed up with a diagnosis of hypertension. Patients who were scheduled to have ambulatory blood pressure measurements were asked to have home measurements five days before this measurement. Oscillometric and auscultatory methods used for office measurements. Home measurements were performed with the patient's own calibrated devices. Ambulatory measurements were performed after five days of home follow-up. Results: The study included 463 patients with a mean age of 49±15 years, 52% of whom were women. The number of patients diagnosed with non-regulated hypertension, based on home (256) and office (220) measurements, was much higher than the number of patients based on daytime (63) and average (87) ambulatory measurements. Among the patients considered regulated according to daytime ambulatory measurements, 157 (71.4%) were evaluated as hypertension according to office blood pressure, and 193 (75.4%) were assessed as non-regulated hypertension according to home blood pressure. When the correlation between blood pressure measurements was analyzed, it was observed that there was a high correlation between home and office blood pressure (r: 0.922, p<0.001) and a low correlation between ambulatory measurements and home and office blood pressure (r: 0.438, r: 0.459, p<0.001). Conclusion: In a significant proportion of patients who were decided to be unregulated while being followed up with a diagnosis of hypertension due to office measurements, it was decided that the follow-up was regulated as a result of ambulatory measurements. The high correlation between home and office measurements and the low correlation between ambulatory measurements, which differs from these methods, are noteworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The physical activity paradox states occupational physical activity (OPA) to be hazardous and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) to be beneficial for health. Yet, the acute effects of OPA and LTPA on cardiovascular risk factors are sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) from steps/hour during work and leisure time among cleaners. Methods: Data were obtained from a cluster randomized worksite intervention among 91 cleaners in Denmark and included a questionnaire, objective physical measurements, ABP (measured across 24 h), and steps/hour (measured during work and leisure time). A preliminary linear regression analysis was conducted as a mixed model including random intercept and slope, allowing for both within- and between-participant variability. We adjusted for sex, age, job seniority, medication use, smoking, self-reported fitness and BMI. Changes in ABP (mmHg) were estimated per 100 steps/hour. Results: The number of steps taken was not associated with ABP during either work or leisure. Moreover, the ABP did not seem to differ between exposure to steps taken during work (systolic − 0.42 mmHg, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): − 1.10–0.25, diastolic − 0.03 mmHg, 95% CI, − 0.45–0.39) and leisure time (systolic -0.47 mmHg, 95% CI, − 1.66–0.72, diastolic 0.25 mmHg, 95% CI, − 0.46–0.97). Conclusion: Our findings show no significant association between steps/hour and ABP and no contrasting effects between work and leisure time. These mechanisms fostering the divergent results need to be further investigated to improve the understanding of the physical activity paradox. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24ABPM) is state of the art in out-of-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Due to discomfort and technical limitations related to cuff-based 24ABPM devices, methods for non-invasive and continuous estimation of BP without the need for a cuff have gained interest. The main aims of the present study were to compare accuracy of a pulse arrival time (PAT) based BP-model and user acceptability of a prototype cuffless multi-sensor device (cuffless device), developed by Aidee Health AS, with a conventional cuff-based oscillometric device (ReferenceBP) during 24ABPM. Ninety-five normotensive and hypertensive adults underwent simultaneous 24ABPM with the cuffless device on the chest and a conventional cuff-based oscillometric device on the non-dominant arm. PAT was calculated using the electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors incorporated in the chest-worn device. The cuffless device recorded continuously, while ReferenceBP measurements were taken every 20 minutes during daytime and every 30 minutes during nighttime. Two-minute PAT-based BP predictions corresponding to the ReferenceBP measurements were compared with ReferenceBP measurements using paired t-tests, bias, and limits of agreement. Mean (SD) of ReferenceBP compared to PAT-based daytime and nighttime systolic BP (SBP) were 129.7 (13.8) mmHg versus 133.6 (20.9) mmHg and 113.1 (16.5) mmHg versus 131.9 (23.4) mmHg. Ninety-five % limits of agreements were [-26.7, 34.6 mmHg] and [-20.9, 58.4 mmHg] for daytime and nighttime SBP respectively. The cuffless device was reported to be significantly more comfortable and less disturbing than the ReferenceBP device during 24ABPM. In the present study, we demonstrated that a general PAT-based BP model had unsatisfactory agreement with ambulatory BP during 24ABPM, especially during nighttime. If sufficient accuracy can be achieved, cuffless BP devices have promising potential for clinical assessment of BP due to the opportunities provided by continuous BP measurements during real-life conditions and high user acceptability. What is the context? Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular end-organ damage, morbidity, and mortality world-wide. Accurate measurement of blood pressure is essential for the diagnosis and management of hypertension. What is new? Cuffless blood pressure devices that allow measurement of blood pressure without a pressure cuff is a promising and novel method of blood pressure estimation. The objective of this study is to assess whether pulse arrival time alone can be used to estimate blood pressure accurately during 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, using a prototype cuffless device placed on the chest. Our analysis shows that a general model based on pulse arrival time overestimated ambulatory blood pressure, especially during nighttime. User acceptability was higher with the cuffless device compared to a conventional cuff-based oscillometric device during 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. What is the impact? This study provides further evidence that accurate blood pressure estimations cannot be achieved by using pulse arrival time alone as a surrogate for blood pressure measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impaired cardiovascular health is a concern for firefighters, with over 50% of line-of-duty deaths having cardiac causes. Many firefighters have hypertension and <25% have their blood pressure (BP) controlled. The alarm response could be an unidentified cardiac risk, but interestingly, the BP response to different calls and on-the-job activity is unknown. We aimed to measure the physiological stress resulting from different call types (fire, medical) and job activity (riding apparatus, pre-alert alarms) through ambulatory BP (ABP) monitoring in a population of firefighters. During 111 12-h work shifts firefighters wore an ABP monitor. BP was measured at 30-min intervals and manual measurements were prompted when the pager went off or whenever they felt stress. Firefighters were hypertensive (124.3 ± 9.9/78.1 ± 6.7 mmHg), overweight (30.2 ± 4.6 kg/m2), middle-aged (40.5 ± 12.6 years) and experienced (17.3 ± 11.7 years). We calculated an average 11% increase in systolic and 10.5% increase in diastolic BP with alarm. Systolic BP (141.9 ± 13.2 mmHg) and diastolic BP (84.9 ± 11.1 mmHg) and the BP surges were higher while firefighters were responding to medical calls compared to fire calls. Between BP groups we found that medical call systolic BP (p =.001, d = 1.2), diastolic BP (p =.017, d = 0.87), and fire call systolic BP (p =.03, d = 0.51) levels were higher in the hypertensive firefighters. This is the first report of BP surge responses to alarms and to occupational activities in firefighters, and medical calls elicited the largest overall responses. Cardiovascular disease and impaired cardiovascular health are substantially more prevalent in firefighters, with over 50% of line-of-duty deaths being cardiac related. Many firefighters are diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension), which is known to increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart disease, and other serious health complications. Upon stress, our body enacts the 'fight or flight' response where sympathetic nervous system activity triggers an immediate increase in heart rate and blood pressure. This response can be dangerous when surges reach extreme levels due to underlying impaired cardiovascular function. It is known that alarm sounds trigger a stress response. Firefighters respond to different alarms while on the job, each indicating different call types, such as a house fire or a medical emergency. Due to the prevalence of impaired cardiovascular health in firefighters, the physical stress resulting from these alerts is cause for concern. The blood pressure surge response to different call types and job activities in healthy and hypertensive firefighters had not been measured before this study. Through the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring of 111 on-duty firefighters, this study discovered that medical calls caused the greatest blood pressure and heart rate surge. Also, firefighters with hypertension experienced a greater blood pressure surge in response to alarms than their non-hypertensive co-workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-sodium diets (HSDs) can cause exaggerated increases in blood pressure (BP) during physiological perturbations that cause sympathetic activation, which is related to cardiovascular risk. Melatonin supplementation has been shown to play a role in BP regulation. Our aim was to examine the effects of melatonin taken during an HSD on 24-h BP and BP reactivity during isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise, postexercise ischemia (PEI), and the cold pressor test (CPT). Twenty-two participants (11 men/11 women, 26.5 ± 3.1 yr, BMI: 24.1 ± 1.8 kg/m², BP: 111 ± 9/67 ± 7 mmHg) were randomized to a 10-day HSD (6,900 mg sodium/day) that was supplemented with either 10 mg/day of melatonin (HSD þ MEL) or placebo (HSD þ PL). Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring was assessed starting on day 9. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was quantified during the last 30 s of IHG at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction and CPT, and during 3 min of PEI. Melatonin did not change 24-h MAP (HSD þ PL: 83 ± 6 mmHg; HSD þ MEL: 82 ± 5 mmHg; P = 0.23) but decreased nighttime peripheral (HSD þ PL: 105 ± 10 mmHg; HSD þ MEL: 100 ± 10 mmHg; P = 0.01) and central systolic BP (HSD þ PL: 97 ± 9 mmHg; HSD þ MEL: 93 ± 8 mmHg; P = 0.04) on the HSD compared with the HSD þ PL. The absolute and percent change in MAP during IHG was not different between conditions (all P > 0.05). In conclusion, melatonin supplementation did not alter BP reactivity to the perturbations tested on an HSD but may be beneficial in lowering BP in young healthy normotensive adults. NEW & NOTEWORTHY BP reactivity was assessed during isometric handgrip (IHG) exercise, postexercise ischemia (PEI), and the cold pressor test (CPT) after 10 days of a high-sodium diet with and without melatonin supplementation. Melatonin did not alter BP reactivity in healthy normotensive men and women. However, melatonin did decrease nighttime peripheral and central systolic BP, suggesting it may be beneficial in lowering BP even in those with a normal BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of on-treatment mean cumulative ambulatory blood pressures (BPs) in type 2 diabetes has never been investigated. We aimed to assess it in a prospective cohort of 647 individuals with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Clinic-office and ambulatory BPs were measured at baseline and serially during follow-up. Multivariable Cox analyses assessed the associations between baseline and mean cumulative BPs with the occurrence of cardiovascular events, major adverse cardiovascular events, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and microvascular outcomes (microalbuminuria, renal failure, retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy). C statistics and the integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) index evaluated the improvement in risk discrimination by using cumulative ambulatory BPs instead of baseline BPs. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 10.6 years, there were 202 cardiovascular events (163 major adverse cardiovascular events), 254 all-cause deaths (118 cardiovascular); 125 individuals had microalbuminuria development/progression, 104 developed advanced renal failure, 159 had retinopathy, and 174 individuals had peripheral neuropathy development/progression. The risks associated with mean cumulative ambulatory BPs were in general higher than those associated with baseline BPs, particularly for cardiovascular (HR, 1.42 versus 1.25 for increments of 1 SD in 24-hour systolic blood pressure) and mortality outcomes (1.56 versus 1.26). Compared with cumulative clinic BPs, mean cumulative ambulatory BPs improved risk discrimination for most outcomes, with IDIs from 11% to 14% for major adverse cardiovascular events and mortality up to 24% to 26% for microalbuminuria and neuropathy. Conclusions: Compared with clinic-office BPs, mean cumulative ambulatory BPs during follow-up improve risk discrimination for most complications and mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Serial ambulatory BP monitoring shall be more widely used in clinical management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Blood pressure (BP) thresholds for diagnosing and managing hypertension vary for office, home, and ambulatory readings, and between guideline documents. This analysis determined corresponding office, home, and ambulatory BP thresholds using baseline data from the HI‐JAMP (Home‐Activity Information and Communication Technology–Based Japan Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Prospective) study, which used a validated “all‐in‐one” BP monitoring device. Methods and Results Data from 2322 treated patients with hypertension who underwent office BP measurement, then 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring, then home BP monitoring for 5 days were analyzed. Corresponding BP thresholds for office, home, and ambulatory measurements were determined using Deming regression. Values equivalent to office systolic BP (SBP) of 120 and 140 mm Hg were as follows: 115.9 and 127.7 mm Hg for 24‐hour ambulatory SBP; 120.8 and 134.0 mm Hg for daytime ambulatory SBP; 104.9 and 117.9 mm Hg for nighttime ambulatory SBP; and 122.0 and 134.2 mm Hg for morning‐evening average home SBP. Deming regression showed that morning‐evening average home SBP and daytime ambulatory SBP were almost the same (home SBP=0.99×daytime ambulatory SBP+0.27 mm Hg; r=0.627). Morning‐evening average home SBP values of 120 and 135 mm Hg were equivalent to daytime ambulatory SBP values of 119.1 and 133.9 mm Hg, respectively. A home SBP threshold of 130 mm Hg corresponded to 24‐hour and nighttime ambulatory SBP values of 123.5 and 113.6 mm Hg, whereas a home SBP threshold of 135 mm Hg corresponded to 24‐hour and nighttime ambulatory SBP values of 128.0 and 119.2 mm Hg. Conclusions Ambulatory and home BP thresholds in this analysis were similar to those proposed by existing guidelines. The similarity between the home BP and daytime ambulatory BP thresholds was a clinically relevant finding.

Objective 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24ABPM) is state of the art in out-of-office blood pressure (BP) monitoring. Due to discomfort and technical limitations related to cuff-based 24ABPM devices, methods for non-invasive and continuous estimation of BP without the need for a cuff have gained interest. The main aims of the present study were to compare accuracy of a pulse arrival time (PAT) based BP-model and user acceptability of a prototype cuffless multi-sensor device (cuffless device), developed by Aidee Health AS, with a conventional cuff-based oscillometric device (ReferenceBP) during 24ABPM. Methods Ninety-five normotensive and hypertensive adults underwent simultaneous 24ABPM with the cuffless device on the chest and a conventional cuff-based oscillometric device on the non-dominant arm. PAT was calculated using the electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors incorporated in the chest-worn device. The cuffless device recorded continuously, while ReferenceBP measurements were taken every 20 minutes during daytime and every 30 minutes during nighttime. Two-minute PAT-based BP predictions corresponding to the ReferenceBP measurements were compared with ReferenceBP measurements using paired t-tests, bias, and limits of agreement. Results Mean (SD) of ReferenceBP compared to PAT-based daytime and nighttime systolic BP (SBP) were 129.7 (13.8) mmHg versus 133.6 (20.9) mmHg and 113.1 (16.5) mmHg versus 131.9 (23.4) mmHg. Ninety-five % limits of agreements were [-26.7, 34.6 mmHg] and [-20.9, 58.4 mmHg] for daytime and nighttime SBP respectively. The cuffless device was reported to be significantly more comfortable and less disturbing than the ReferenceBP device during 24ABPM. Conclusions In the present study, we demonstrated that a general PAT-based BP model had unsatisfactory agreement with ambulatory BP during 24ABPM, especially during nighttime. If sufficient accuracy can be achieved, cuffless BP devices have promising potential for clinical assessment of BP due to the opportunities provided by continuous BP measurements during real-life conditions and high user acceptability.

Background and Objectives: Although dispositional optimism and pessimism have been prospectively associated with health outcomes, little is known about how these associations manifest in everyday life. This study examined how short-term optimistic and pessimistic expectations were associated with psychological and physiological stress processes. Methods: A diverse sample of adults (N = 300) completed a 2-day/1-night ecological momentary assessment and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) protocol at ∼45-minute intervals. Results: Moments that were more optimistic than typical for a person were followed by moments with lower likelihood of reporting a stressor, higher positive affect (PA), lower negative affect (NA), and less subjective stress (SS). Moments that were more pessimistic than typical were not associated with any affective stress outcome at the following moment. Neither optimism nor pessimism were associated with ABP, and did not moderate associations between reporting a stressor and outcomes. Discussion: These findings suggest that intraindividual fluctuations in optimistic and pessimistic expectations are associated with stressor appraisals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic coffee consuption has been reported to be associated with a modest but significant increase in blood pressure (BP), although some recent studies have shown the opposite. These data, however, largely refer to clinic BP and virtually no study evaluated cross-sectionally the association between chronic coffee consuption, out-of-office BP and BP variability. In 2045 subjects belonging to the population of the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate E Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study, we analyzed cross-sectionally the association between clinic, 24-hour, home BP and BP variability and level of chronic coffee consumption. Results show that when adjusted for confounders (age, gender, body mass index, cigarette smoking, physical activity and alcohol drinking) chronic coffee consumption does not appear to have any major lowering effect on BP values, particulary when they are assessed via 24-hour ambulatory (0 Cup/day: 118.5 ± 0.7/72.8 ± 0.4 mmHg vs 3 cups/day: 120.2 ± 0.4/74.8 ± 0.3 mmHg, P NS) or home BP monitoring (0 cup/day: 124.1 ± 1.2/75.4 ± 0.7 mmHg vs 3 cups/day: 123.3 ± 0.6/76.4 ± 0.36 mmHg, P NS). However, daytime BP was significantly higher in coffee consumers (about 2 mmHg), suggesting some pressor effects of coffee which vanish during nighttime. Both BP and HR 24-hour HR variability were unaffected. Thus chronic coffee consumption does not appear to have any major lowering effect either on absolute BP values, particulary when they are assessed via 24-hour ambulatory or home BP monitoring, or on 24-hour BP variability. • Controversial data have been collected on the association between chronic coffee consumption and blood pressure, the majority of the findings being limited to office BP. • In the present study we analyzed the data collected in the general population of the Pressioni Arteriose Monitorate e Loro Associazioni (PAMELA) study, evaluating cross-sectionally the relationships between coffee consumption and clinic, 24-hour and home BP. Twenty-four hour BP variability was also evaluated. • Chronic coffee consumption does not appear to have any major lowering effect on BP values particulary when they are assessed via 24-hour ambulatory or home BP monitoring. • The results of the present study show that, if anything, chronic coffee consumption may be associated with a small daytime BP increase, without affecting, however, 24-hour BP variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We confirm that desk workers are highly sedentary, especially at work. Still, non-occupational SB patterns are similar when comparing workdays vs. entire non-workdays. Uniquely, we reveal paradoxical correlations between occupational and non-occupational SB with CVD risk measures. This could have implications for SB-reduction interventions that aim at promoting cardiovascular health. Objectives: We assessed sedentary behavior (SB) patterns and examined its associations, by domain, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk measures in desk workers (N = 273). Methods: Sedentary behavior was measured by activPAL3 and partitioned into occupational and nonoccupational SB. Cardiovascular disease risk measures included blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, heart rate, and heart rate variability. Paired t tests evaluated patterns of SB across domains. Linear regressions estimated associations of occupational and nonoccupational SB with CVD risk measures. Results: Participants spent 69% of their time in SB; higher proportions were accumulated during occupational versus nonoccupational time. Higher all-domain SB was only associated with higher pulse wave velocity. Paradoxically, greater nonoccupational SB unfavorably associated with CVD risk measures, while higher occupational SB favorably correlated to CVD risk measures. Conclusions: Observed paradoxical associations suggest that domain should be considered in efforts to improve cardiovascular health by reducing SB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The timing of antihypertensive drugs administration is controversial. The aim was to compare the efficacy of dosing of antihypertensive drugs in the morning versus evening. Methods: A PubMed, EMBASE, and clinicaltrials.gov databases search for randomized clinical trials of antihypertensive therapies where patients were randomized to morning versus evening dosing. The outcomes were ambulatory blood pressure (BP) parameters (day-time, night-time, and 24/48-hour systolic blood pressure [SBP] and diastolic blood pressure [DBP]) and cardiovascular outcomes. Results: Of 72 randomized controlled trials included, evening dosing significantly reduced ambulatory BP parameters: 24/48-hour SBP (mean difference [MD]=1.41 mm Hg; [95% CI, 0.48–2.34]), DBP (MD=0.60 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.12–1.08]), night-time SBP (MD=4.09 mm Hg [95% CI, 3.01–5.16]), DBP (MD, 2.57 mm Hg [95% CI, 1.92–3.22]), with a smaller reduction in day-time SBP (MD=0.94 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.01–1.87]), and DBP (MD=0.87 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.10–1.63]), and numerically lower cardiovascular events compared with morning dosing. However, when controversial data by Hermida (23 trials, 25  734 patients) were omitted (P heterogeneity<0.05 for most outcomes), the above effect of evening dosing attenuated with no significant effect on 24/48-hour ambulatory blood pressure, day-time BP, and major adverse cardiac event and smaller reduction in night-time ambulatory SBP and DBP. Conclusions: Evening dosing of antihypertensive drugs significantly reduced ambulatory BP parameters and lowered cardiovascular events but the effect was mainly driven by trials by Hermida group. Unless the intention is to specifically lower night-time BP, antihypertensive drugs should be taken at a time of day that is convenient, optimizes adherence, and minimizes undesirable effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although dispositional optimism and pessimism are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), their relative independence and unique contributions to CVD risk are unclear. This study addressed these issues by using multiple indicators of optimism and pessimism and linking them to objective risk factors for CVD. A diverse sample of adults (N = 300) completed baseline assessments (including global reports of optimism and pessimism), a 2-day/1-night EMA protocol with ambulatory blood pressure (BP) at 45-min intervals, and had inflammatory markers and carotid intima media imaging collected. EMA reports of momentary positive and negative expectations were averaged to form intraindividual (person) means of optimism and pessimism, respectively. Optimism and pessimism were only modestly correlated between- and within-assessment methods. Higher pessimism, regardless of assessment method, predicted both lower odds of whether BP dipping occurred and a smaller degree of dipping, but was unrelated to other biomarkers. Optimism was not uniquely predictive of CVD risk factors. Pessimism thus appears to exhibit stronger relative contribution to risk indicators of CVD than optimism.