ABSTRACT
Objectives:To investigate the effects of morning blood pressure on vascular endothelial function and chronic inflammatory response in the elderly.Methods:349 elderly people aged ≥60 who underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in Gaomi Municipal Hospital from April 2018 to October 2019 were selected to detect brachial artery flow mediated vasodilation (FMD) and chronic inflammatory factors [high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-17] levels. According to the results of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the subjects were divided into normal blood pressure group ( n=108), simple morning hypertension group ( n=114) and hypertension group ( n=127). The clinical data, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure parameters, vascular endothelial function and inflammatory factors of the three groups were compared. The correlation between 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure parameters and FMD and inflammatory factors was analyzed by partial correlation. Results:Compared with the normal blood pressure group, the simple morning hypertension group and the hypertension group had lower FMD (all P<0.05), higher serum hsCRP and TNF-α , IL-17 levels (all P<0.05). Compared with the simple morning hypertension group, the hypertension group had lower FMD ( P<0.05), higher serum hsCRP, TNF-α and IL-17 levels (all P<0.05). After controlling for age, sex, smoking history, drinking history, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and 24 h average blood pressure, the morning systolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with FMD ( P<0.05), and positively correlated with serum hsCRP and TNF-α and IL-17 levels (all P<0.05); the morning diastolic blood pressure was negatively correlated with FMD ( P<0.05) and positively correlated with serum hsCRP and TNF-α levels (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Morning blood pressure level is closely related to vascular endothelial function and chronic inflammation level, and is independent of 24-hour average blood pressure. The increase of morning blood pressure may be an important risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and chronic inflammation in the elderly.