Prevalence and determinants of masked hypertension among obese individuals at the Yaoundé Central Hospital: a cross-sectional study in sub-Saharan Africa

Aortic arch calcification: a novel parameter for prediction of masked hypertension

BACKGROUND

Masked hypertension is directly related to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality but remains underdiagnosed in clinical practice. The aim of the study was to search the role of aortic arch calcification (AAC) in the diagnosis of masked hypertension.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among the patients who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in our clinic, those with office blood pressure (OBP) <140/90 mmHg were included in the study population. According to OBP, they were divided into two groups as normal (<130/85 mmHg) and high normal (130-139/85-89 mmHg) OBP groups. Subjects were also investigated for the presence of masked hypertension with ABPM and searched in masked hypertension and control groups. Masked hypertension was defined as in the latest 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension guideline and was diagnosed as the daytime BP ≥ 135/85 mmHg and nighttime BP ≥ 120/70 mmHg. AAC was evaluated on direct X-ray telecardiography. Diagnosis of masked hypertension was searched depending on the presence of AAC and OBP measurements as well. A total of 216 volunteers were involved in the study [mean age 45.2 ± 12.2 years; female gender 120 (55.5%)]. One hundred ten volunteers (50.9%) had masked hypertension according to the ABPM. AAC was significantly more common in the masked hypertension group (44.5% vs. 26.4%) (P = 0.005). AAC had a positive predictive value of 79% in those with high normal OBP in the diagnosis of masked hypertension, and also AAC had a negative predictive value of 74% in those with normal OBP.

CONCLUSION

AAC can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool to exclude and predict masked hypertension during office examination.

Which is responsible for target organ damage in masked hypertension? Is it an increase in blood pressure or a disruption of the circadian rhythm?

OBJECTIVE

Masked hypertension (MH) and non-dipping pattern are conditions associated with target organ damage and cardiovascular risk, which are frequently observed together. We aimed to show the relationship between the target organ damage observed in MH and the deterioration in the dipping pattern.

METHODS

Patients who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and office blood pressure (BP) <140/90 mmHg were retrospectively screened. In ABPM data, those with daytime BP ≥135/85 mmHg and night BP ≥120/70 mmHg were included in the MH group, while the others were included in the normotensive group. The patients were grouped as dipper, non-dipper and reverse-dipper according to ABPM results. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and serum creatinine levels were used to determine target organ damage.

RESULTS

289 patients [mean age 46.6 ± 12.4 years, 136 (47.1%) males], 154 (53.3%) of whom had MH were included in our study. GFR value was found to be significantly lower, serum creatinine levels and LVMI were significantly higher in patients with MH compared to normotensives (p < .05, for all). When the subgroups were examined, it was found that this difference was associated with the disruption in the dipping pattern. In patients with MH, dipping pattern disruption without change in systolic BP was independently associated with an increase in LVMI (p < .05, for both).

CONCLUSION

Target organ damage seen in MH may be due to the deterioration of the dipping pattern.