Hypertension, what to do if it comes at night

Some more some less, we are all used to controlling blood pressure at least once a year, and more frequently in the event of hypertension. In fact, if the values ​​rise beyond the recommended limits, the doctor first offers us indications on lifestyle, indicating a less rich diet, weight control, the reduction of table salt, regular physical activity and everything in between.

Then he can also move on to prescribing medications. Be careful though. We are talking about cases in which hypertension is found during the day, in the clinic. But there are people in which blood pressure gets up at night. How to recognize this picture? And how dangerous can it be for health?

Research sheds light on the phenomenon

Nocturnal hypertension, that is the presence of high blood pressure during sleep compared to practically normal levels during the day, it is certainly not a rare phenomenon. Now however a search appeared on Jama Cardiology and conducted by experts from Columbia University in New York also highlights the possible risk associated with this condition, potentially at play in increasing the cardiovascular risk of people who suffer from it.

The problem is to understand how and how frequent the phenomenon is. Unfortunately, it is not possible to follow all the people who could be at risk with regular measurements (unless they are assessments implemented with controls such as the 24-hour blood pressure measurement, which obviously allows to have indications also on “sudden changes. “Nocturnal). However, it appears of great importance to be able to grasp the subjects at risk, given that there are now scientific data that demonstrate how nocturnal hypertension pose a health risk, in particular on the brain activity front and on the ability to memorize.

Normally, in fact, the pressure in the evening tends to drop, remains reduced during sleep and then, progressively, rises when we wake up. The body is adjusted to follow these rhythms, but sometimes it doesn’t behave as it should. And even the pressure can “deceive”, as the research recalls, resulting practically normal during the day and facing “surges” of the maxim, or what the experts call systolic, not at all positive for well-being.

The risk of “reverse dipping”

For scientists, the phenomenon of abnormal increase in blood pressure at night when the pressure should decrease is called “reverse dipping”. In practice, there is no reduction in blood pressure levels but rather an increase in them.

Warning: it must be said that generally this lack of regulatory activity of the daily rhythms of “ups and downs” of blood pressure tends to manifest itself in people who already suffer from hypertension and therefore should be under control. But there is no doubt that the hypertension that “comes” at night, represents a health problem, especially if the “jumps” are also reflected on the small vessels that supply the central nervous system.

According to research that appeared on Neurology, when the natural blood pressure drops do not occur at night, a more than double increase in the areas of white matter hyperintensity was observed, a sign of potential risks of future “problems”. And above all, “reverse dipping” reported lower scores in memory tests, which could have among the explanations both the differences in pressure and the problem of blood pressure rise during night rest.

Be that as it may, the important thing is to remember that blood pressure is a risk factor for the health of the whole organism and if it is not controlled on the basis of the doctor’s instructions, the possibility of experiencing heart attacks, stroke, renal failure … .. just to mention some of the consequences over time of failure to control blood pressure.

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