Non-invasive 24-hr monitoring of high blood pressure in climacteric outpatients

Blood pressure (BP) monitoring was carried out over a period of 24 hr in 28 hypertensive women selected among the outpatients attending the Menopause Clinic at Bologna University. Seven (7) of the women (mean age 50 ± 1 yr) were in the pre-menopause, 7 had undergone a natural menopause at 6 to 36 mth previously (mean age 52 ± 4 yr) and a further 7 had had a natural menopause 37–120 months previously (mean age 56 ± 5 yr). The control group was made up of 7 women in late fertile age (mean age 47 ± 1 yr). It was found that: &#x02022; - high blood pressure was not confirmed in all patients; &#x02022; - there was a significant increase in systolic and diastolic BP values in natural post-menopause subjects ( P < 0.01) temporarily related to ovarian failure, but BP reached a steady state in elderly women when a new hormonal balance is established; &#x02022; - 24-hr monitoring made it possible to identify a group of climacteric outpatients at higher cardiovascular risk whose suitability for antihypertensive treatment could thus be assessed.