People who experience high blood pressure during sleep have a condition called nocturnal hypertension, according to a new study published in the journal Circulation. This isoften with heart failureand other forms of cardiovascular disease. This type of nocturnal hypertension can occur even in people whose blood pressure is normal during the day. However, the dangerous condition is difficult to detect because routine blood pressure checks are almost always done during the day.
Why is high blood pressure dangerous while sleeping?
So most people might think that their body feels most comfortable when they are sleeping. However, some of them reach higher blood pressure levels at night, which can potentially even have fatal consequences. The study results show that nocturnal systolic blood pressure may be a significant, independent risk factor for cardiovascular problems. For the study, Japanese researchers examined 6,359 people. They used wearable monitors to measure blood pressure both during the day and at night. Participants had at least one cardiovascular risk factor and most were taking medications to control their blood pressure. However, at the start of the study, none of them had symptomatic cardiovascular disease such as the heart problems mentioned above.
During participants' 2- to 7-year follow-up, researchers reported that people with nighttime systolic blood pressure levels were 20 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) higher than their daytime systolic blood pressure. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease such as heart failure occurred significantly more frequently. In total, study participants experienced 306 cardiovascular events, including 119 strokes, 99 diagnoses of coronary artery disease and 88 diagnoses of heart failure. Conversely, participants whose blood pressure was controlled with medication had an increased risk of stroke if their blood pressure was too low at night.
Causes of increased blood pressure values at night
High blood pressure is also seen when it rises naturally to eliminate excess sodium from the kidneys. This especially happens in people with high sensitivity to salt intake. According to the study authors, high blood pressure during the day is usually enough to balance sodium in the body. However, in patients with increased circulating blood volume due to increased salt intake and salt sensitivity, blood pressure must also increase at night. This is the compensated mechanism that unfortunately proves to be harmful to the heart. According to cardiologists, taking blood pressure medication in the evening improves blood pressure throughout the day and night and reduces overall mortality. However, sympathetic nerve activity as well as autonomic nervous dysfunction, sleep apnea or poor sleep quality can also occur at nightIncrease in blood pressurecontribute.
Poor sleep habits include drinking caffeine or alcohol and taking naps during the day. Inconsistent bedtime is also linked to poorly controlled sugar, prostate hypertrophy, exercising too late in the evening, blue light from digital devices, nightmares or emotional confrontations. The diseases that can cause high blood pressure also include diabetes and thyroid and kidney problems. Experts recommend reducing salt intake, administering diuretics and taking mineral receptor blockers to reduce the risk of nocturnal hypertension. However, the best way to reduce the risk of acute nocturnal blood pressure rises is, above all, to maintain a consistent sleep pattern.This studytherefore highlights the importance of incorporating nocturnal blood pressure monitoring into patient management strategies.
