PREVALENCE OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF NOCTURNAL BLOOD PRESSURE PROFILE OF ASTHMA PATIENTS ACCORDING TO THERAPY AND SEVERITY OF THE DISEASE: THE BADA STUDY. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Musiari, Gaia; Di Raimondo, Domenico; Benfante, Alida; Battaglia, Salvatore; Rizzo, Giuliana; Tuttolomondo, Antonino; Scichilone, Nicola; Pinto, Antonio
• Is Part Of: Journal of hypertension. Volume 39(2021)e-Supplement 1
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Hypertension -- Periodicals; Hypertension -- Periodicals; 616.132005
• DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000745856.56538.1e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-5598

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: Several studies report an increased risk for asthmatic subjects to develop arterial hypertension and the relationship between these two diseases, frequently co-existing, still has some unclear aspects. Available data reports that asthmatics were 36 to 43 % more likely to have high blood pressure than non-asthmatics. None of these studies evaluated the event of an unrecognized hypertension and/or the 24-hours blood pressure profile of asthmatic patients through an Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM). Design and method: The BADA (Blood pressure levels, clinical features and markers of subclinical cArdiovascular Damage of Asthma patients) Study is aimed to evaluate the prevalence of the cardiovascular comorbidities of asthma and their impact on the clinical outcome. In this pilot study forty patients affected by asthma were consecutively recruited. Forty consecutive individuals referring for ambulatory examination due to medical reasons different from respiratory diseases served as the control group. Main exclusion criteria were the presence of other respiratory diseases, current smoking, any contraindication to ABPM. Results: The overall percentage of asthmatics having also hypertension was 75 % (30 patients) vs 45 % (18 patients) of the control group (p: 0, 012). Reduced level of FEV1 (but neither inhaled steroid therapy or other asthma-related factors) was associated to newly-diagnosed hypertension (p: 0.0002), higher day SBP levels (p: 0.003), higher day DBP levels (p: 0.03), higher 24h-SBP levels (p: 0.005) and higher 24h-DBP levels (p: 0.03). A comparison of nocturnal dipping patterns between asthmatics and controls, do not found any statistically significant differences between the two groups. The regression analysis performed taking into account sex, age, diabetes, fasting glucose, Body Mass Index confirms the independent role played by asthma towards the overall hypertension (both already note adn newly diagnosed): Odds Ratio (OR): 3.66 (CI: 1.29–11.1). Conclusions: Arterial hypertension in asthma is more prevalent than how supposed before, emphasizing the need for a deeper cardiovascular screening for asthma patients. In particular, our data highlights the need for a more extensive use of ABPM.