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The morning blood pressure surge is related to serum cholesterol

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 27, pages 315–320 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

A morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) may be either a mechanism for, or a marker of, increased cardiovascular events. This study has examined factors which may influence the morning surge: age, gender, metabolic factors, sympathetic function, blood pressure and arterial stiffness. Four measures of the MBPS were examined—sleep-trough surge, pre-awake surge, rate of blood pressure rise and a Power function. Subjects underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, glucose tolerance test, central pulse wave velocity, sympathetic autonomic function tests (mental stress and sustained handgrip). MBPS was associated with age, hypertension, blood pressure variability and serum lipids. After adjustment for age and waist circumference, all four measures of MBPS remained positively associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The novel finding of a significant relationship between measures of MBPS and LDL-cholesterol is an intriguing link between two major cardiovascular risk factors.

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Acknowledgements

Catherine Martin is receiving a scholarship from Monash University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    C A Martin, S S Chen & B P McGrath

  2. Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Australia

    C A Martin & B P McGrath

  3. Monash Cardiovascular Research Centre, Monash University and Monash Heart, Southern Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

    J D Cameron

  4. Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    G A Head & N Eikelis

  5. Medical Education Unit, Southern Health, Clayton, Australia

    B P McGrath

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  1. C A Martin
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  2. J D Cameron
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  3. G A Head
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Correspondence to B P McGrath.

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Martin, C., Cameron, J., Head, G. et al. The morning blood pressure surge is related to serum cholesterol. J Hum Hypertens 27, 315–320 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2012.44

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