Circadian pattern of blood pressure in patients with stable COPD

Abstract

ObjectiveTo describe the circadian blood pressure (BP) pattern in stable COPD patients. MethodsWe included stable COPD patients from Internal Medicine Departments. Office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring were performed. Patients were classified as BP reducers (dipper or extreme dipper) or non-reducers (non-dipper or riser). ResultsWe included 43 patients (5 women, mean age 69.5 ± 9.5 years). Among them, 11 had sustained normotension, 13 sustained hypertension, 2 white coat hypertension, and 17 masked hypertension. Arterial stiffness was observed in 12 (27.9%) patients. Overall, 26 (60.5%) exhibited a non-reducer BP profile. Non-reducers had a higher frequency of previous major cardiovascular events (50% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.020) and long-acting muscarinic antagonist use (84.6% vs. 47.1%, p = 0.009). ConclusionsHypertension is often masked in COPD patients, who frequently display an altered circadian BP pattern. Longitudinal studies with larger samples are needed to evaluate the impact of these patterns on COPD progression.