Factors Affecting Blood Pressure Readings
Levels of blood pressure vary significantly through the day and night.The lowest pressures occur during sleep. Conversely, virtually everyone has, to one degree or another, what is termed morning surge in blood pressure.
Doctors have noted this tendency for many years, but the definitive study was done in 2003. Investigators from the United States and Japan collaborated in the work that determined that significant morning surges in blood pressure present a major risk of stroke for older patients with hypertension. Previous work established a similar risk for older people arising from an afternoon siesta. It’s scary to think that taking a nap can actually be hazardous to one’s health!
Doctors have noted this tendency for many years, but the definitive study was done in 2003. Investigators from the United States and Japan collaborated in the work that determined that significant morning surges in blood pressure present a major risk of stroke for older patients with hypertension. Previous work established a similar risk for older people arising from an afternoon siesta. It’s scary to think that taking a nap can actually be hazardous to one’s health!
Morning surge is now medically defined as the difference in systolic blood pressure during the first two hours after awakening and arising minus the lowest level of systolic blood pressure recorded during the day or, ideally, during sleep. The greater the difference, the higher the risk of stroke. In the 2003 study, people at the highest risk had a whopping difference averaging 55 mm Hg.
Please note that the risk of stroke was increased for older patients with established hypertension, not for those with normal or minimally elevated blood pressure. Older hypertensive individuals, however, should be aware of this risk and should determine with either home or ambulatory monitoring whether they experience morning surge.
Even the weather affects blood pressure. Daytime blood pressure tends to be lower during the hot days of summer than during cold weather. That’s true regardless of age, but older men and women with hypertension have higher blood pressure at night when the weather is hot. Such individuals are typically treated with antihypertensive drugs to control their blood pressure, and they and their doctors should be aware that just because blood pressure might be measured as being lower in the summer days, their medication dosages should not be reduced.
Article Source: The Blood Pressure Cure
Please note that the risk of stroke was increased for older patients with established hypertension, not for those with normal or minimally elevated blood pressure. Older hypertensive individuals, however, should be aware of this risk and should determine with either home or ambulatory monitoring whether they experience morning surge.
Even the weather affects blood pressure. Daytime blood pressure tends to be lower during the hot days of summer than during cold weather. That’s true regardless of age, but older men and women with hypertension have higher blood pressure at night when the weather is hot. Such individuals are typically treated with antihypertensive drugs to control their blood pressure, and they and their doctors should be aware that just because blood pressure might be measured as being lower in the summer days, their medication dosages should not be reduced.
Article Source: The Blood Pressure Cure
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