Serum copeptin levels in predicting nondippers in newly diagnosed hypertension.

Abstract

The nondipper pattern in hypertension is associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes. In this study, we hypothesized that high copeptin levels could predict nondippers among hypertensive patients and investigated the associations between copeptin levels and nondipper pattern in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients. Ambulatory blood pressure measurements were obtained and the patients were divided into two groups according to ambulatory blood pressure measurement as nondippers and dippers. Serum copeptin levels were measured in addition to routine laboratory investigations. A total of 76 patients were included in the study. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the two groups were similar. The mean copeptin values were found to be significantly higher in the nondipper hypertensive group [1.66 (1.19-4.01) and 1.35 (1.12-2.09) IU/ml, respectively, P=0.026]. In the correlation analysis, no correlation was found between copeptin levels and daytime diastolic blood pressure, but there were weak positive correlations with daytime systolic, 24 h systolic, and diastolic blood pressure values (r=0.335, P=0.034, r=0.350, P=0.027, r=0.372, P=0.018, respectively). However, there were significant positive correlations between serum copeptin levels and nocturnal systolic and diastolic blood pressure values (r=0.593, P<0.001, r=0.523, P=0.001, respectively). This study showed that high serum copeptin levels could predict the nondipper pattern in newly diagnosed hypertension.