Abstract
BackgroundDecreased ambient temperature significantly increases office blood pressure, but few studies have evaluated the effect of ambient temperature on home blood pressure.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the relationship between short-term ambient temperature exposure and home blood pressure.MethodsWe recruited patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases from a telehealth care program at a university-affiliated hospital. Blood pressure was measured at home by patients or their caregivers. We obtained hourly meteorological data for Taipei (temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed) for the same time period from the Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan.ResultsFrom 2009 to 2013, we enrolled a total of 253 patients. Mean patient age was 70.28 (SD 13.79) years, and 66.0% (167/253) of patients were male. We collected a total of 110,715 home blood pressure measurements. Ambient temperature had a negative linear effect on all 3 home blood pressure parameters after adjusting for demographic and clinical factors and antihypertensive agents. A 1°C decrease was associated with a 0.5492-mm Hg increase in mean blood pressure, a 0.6841-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure, and a 0.2709-mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure. This temperature effect on home blood pressure was less prominent in patients with diabetes or hypertension. Antihypertensive agents modified this negative effect of temperature on home blood pressure to some extent, and angiotensin receptor blockers had the most favorable results.ConclusionsShort-term exposure to low ambient temperature significantly increased home blood pressure in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases. Antihypertensive agents may modify this effect.
Highlights
BackgroundExposure to extreme temperatures, either high or low, is known to significantly increase mortality, and most temperature-attributable death is due to low, rather than high, ambient temperatures [1,2]
A previous study documented the short-term effects of ambient temperature on morbidity from noncommunicable diseases [3]. Since it was first reported by Rose in 1961 [4], seasonal variation in blood pressure has been observed by many investigators, and this phenomenon is evident in a variety of patient populations [5,6]
A Japanese study showed that home blood pressure (HBP) may be an even more important parameter than office blood pressure for predicting future coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke events [14]
Summary
BackgroundExposure to extreme temperatures, either high or low, is known to significantly increase mortality, and most temperature-attributable death is due to low, rather than high, ambient temperatures [1,2]. A previous study documented the short-term effects of ambient temperature on morbidity from noncommunicable diseases [3]. Since it was first reported by Rose in 1961 [4], seasonal variation in blood pressure has been observed by many investigators, and this phenomenon is evident in a variety of patient populations [5,6]. A 1°C decrease was associated with a 0.5492-mm Hg increase in mean blood pressure, a 0.6841-mm Hg increase in systolic blood pressure, and a 0.2709-mm Hg increase in diastolic blood pressure This temperature effect on home blood pressure was less prominent in patients with diabetes or hypertension. Conclusions: Short-term exposure to low ambient temperature significantly increased home blood pressure in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases.
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