N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide predicts altered circadian variation in essential hypertension

Abstract

Diminished nocturnal blood pressure fall in nondipper hypertensive patients are closely associated with poor prognosis. N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide can also identify poor prognosis in miscellaneous heart diseases. In this study, we aimed to clarify the association between probrain natriuretic peptide levels and diminished nocturnal blood pressure fall in patients with essential hypertension. Twenty-six consecutive nondipper (age: 53 8 years, 14 men) (group 1), and 26 dipper hypertensive patients (age: 52 9 years, 16 men) (group 2), based on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and age and sex-matched 28 normotensive participants (age: 50 +/- 11 years, 16 men) (group 3) were compared with each other. Although systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure values were similar in hypertensives during the day, those at night were higher in group 1 (P 0.05), there were great differences between plasma probrain natriuretic peptide levels (88 20, 58 22 and 47 20 pg/ ml, respectively, P 0.05).