Initial ambulatory electrocardiographic data from this laboratory has characterized the normal heart rhythm patterns in healthy elderly subjects. We have extended these efforts to include younger men and women (ages 25-60). In addition, we have added a new dimension - 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) recording - simultaneous with the ambulatory ECG recording, in normal subjects as well as hypertensives and those with congestive heart failure. We have analyzed the circadian variability of blood pressure, recorded every 7.5 min, over 24 hours in 26 healthy normotensive BLSA women ages 35-75 years using this technique. Both the mean waking systolic blood pressure (SBP) and its standard deviation increased with age wheras during sleep, the mean SBP but not its standard deviation increased with age. The difference between maximum and minimum hourly-averaged waking SBP increased with age whereas the difference during sleep was not age-related. Thus, in ambulatory, normotensive women, the variability of SBP increased with age during waking hours but not during sleep.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01AG000033-08
Application #
3823129
Study Section
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Aging
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code