Effects of diabetes mellitus on ambulatory blood pressure and blood pressure variability in elderly patients with hypertension

Objectives To investigate the effects of type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) on ambulatory blood pressure(ABP) and blood pressure variability(BPV) in elderly patients with essential hypertension(EH).Methods Fourty patients with simple EH(Group A) and 42 patients with T2DM combined with EH aged over 65(Group B) were included.24-hour ABP monitoring was administered in both groups.ABP and BPV of the two groups were compared.Results Daytime average systolic blood pressure(dmSBP),nocturnal average systolic blood pressure(nmSBP),daytime pulse pressure(dmPP),nocturnal pulse pressure(nmPP) and 24-hour average pulse pressure(24 h-mPP) in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A(P0.05 or P0.01).In BPV aspects,daytime systolic blood pressure standard deviation(dSBPSD),daytime systolic blood pressure standard deviation coefficient of variation(dSBPCV),nocturnal systolic blood pressure standard deviation(nSBPSD),nocturnal systolic blood pressure standard deviation coefficient of variation(nSBPCV) and 24-hour systolic blood pressure standard deviation(24h-SBPSD) in Group B were significantly higher than those in Group A(P0.05 or P0.01).Conclusions Age and hypertension are independent risk factors for macrovascular disease in elderly patients with T2DM.In patients with T2DM combined with EH,ABP and BPV increase,and the structure and function of the cardiovascular system are anomalous.The improvement of glucose metabolism can contribute to the improvement of hemodynamics and the reduction of cardiovascular complications.