The Effect of Timing of Antihypertensive Medication on Diurnal Fluctuations in Blood Pressure Using a Wearable Sensor With Continuous Monitoring
Minimal or absent of diurnal fluctuation in blood pressure, and specifically conditions in which BP values are elevated during the night compared to daytime (rather than "nighttime dipping"), are associated with higher rates of morbidity and all-cause mortality. However, there is a gap in the scientific literature as to the optimal, individualized, timing of administration of antihypertensive drugs to balance daytime/nighttime fluctuations in BP to reduce the risk for cardiovascular morbidity and all-cause mortality. To date, the most widely used method for semi-continuous, ambulatory monitoring of BP is a Holter, cuff-based monitor, which is cumbersome to use and therefore results in low patient compliance. Despite various attempts to overcome this problem, practical, patient-friendly methods for continuous BP monitoring throughout the day and night are currently not available. Thus, the main of this study was to investigate whether there is a differential effect of timing of administration of antihypertensive drugs on diurnal fluctuations in BP using a wearable, cuff-less sensor with continuous monitoring capabilities. It is hypothesized that evening medication will improve BP fluctuations throughout the day (e.g., allow nighttime dipping and prevent morning surges) to a greater extend than morning meditation in people with hypertension.
Start: January 2021