The circadian rhythm of blood pressure in hypertensive dialyzed patients and the effect of antihypertensive therapies

The periodic structure of 24-hour blood pressure variation (circadian rhythm of blood pressure by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM)) in hypertensive patients on hemodialysis was investigated by a new technique, the maximum entropy spectral method. This method allows the effectiveness of antihypertensive therapies to be evaluated in such patients. The results were as follows; 1) The percentage of non-dipper type hypertension was 75% (15/20), and the remaining 25% (5/20) showed dipper type hypertension. A rise in morning blood pressure (morning surge) was noted in 60% of the former group and in 80% of the latter group. 2) Night time systolic blood pressure (180±19mmHg) was higher in patients with non-dipper type hypertension than in those with dipper type (146±17mmHg, n=8, p