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analysis of a controlled feeding trial, demonstrated that even when controlling for traditional lifestyle factors that influence BP levels, specifically diet, blacks demonstrated a significant, blunted nocturnal decline in BP as compared to nonblacks.5 Most previous studies, which have attempted to examine the influence of psychosocial factors (such as increased anger, hostility, depression, and stress) on BP dipping, have been limited by small sample sizes or the inability to examine multiple psychosocial variables simultaneously. The findings by Spruill et al. add valuable knowledge to the existing body of literature focusing on understanding racial differences in BP dipping. This work reinforces the potential importance of behavioral risk factors on long-term cardiovascular health. Future prospective studies will be needed to confirm these observations and to disentangle the relative contributions of genetic, behavioral, and other environmental factors responsible for the ethnic differences in diurnal BP patterns. It remains to be seen whether implementation of ABPM in primary care, increased emphasis on 24-h BP control, and stress reduction techniques may have important therapeutic implications for hypertension management.
Disclosure: The author declared no conflict of interest.
1. Staessen JA, Thijs L, Fagard R, OBrien ET, Clement D, de Leeuw PW, Mancia G, Nachev C, Palatini P, Parati G, Tuomilehto J, Webster J. Predicting cardiovascular risk using conventional vs ambulatory blood pressure in older patients with systolic hypertension. Systolic Hypertension in Europe Trial Investigator. JAMA 1999; 282:539546. 2. Hertz RP, Unger AN, Cornell JA, Saunders E. Racial disparities in hypertension prevalence, awareness, and management. Arch Intern Med 2005; 165:20982104. 3. Profant J, Dimsdale JE. Race and diurnal blood pressure patterns: a review and meta-analysis. Hypertension 1999; 33:10991104. 4. Spruill TM, Gerin W, Ogedegbe G, Burg M, Schwartz JE, Pickering TG. Socioeconomic and psychosocial factors mediate race differences in nocturnal blood pressure dipping. Am J Hypertens 2009; 22:637642. 5. Jehn ML, Brotman DJ, Appel L. Racial differences in diurnal blood pressure and heart rate patterns: results from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Feeding Study. Arch Intern Med 2008; 168:9961002.
1School of Health Management and Policy, WP Carey School of Business, ArizonaState University, Tempe, Arizona, USA. Correspondence: Megan L. Jehn (megan.jehn@asu.edu)