Effect of Highly Concentrated Carbon Dioxide-Bathing on Circadian Blood Pressure Variations in Drug-refractory Hypertensive, Specially Non-dipper Patients / 日本温泉気候物理医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Using a highly concentrated CO₂-bathing, authors studied an effect of the bathing (CO₂ 1, 000ppm, for 10min at 40°C) on circadian blood pressure in six cases of antihypertensive drug-refractory hypertension. The patients were females, ranging from 62 to 70 years old (mean age 65.8±2.6). All of the patients were diagnosed as the III stage of essential hypertension (according to WHO criteria) and have been treated with captopril, nifedipine or α-methyl DOPA since three to ten years ago. Out of six cases five showed non-dipper pattern in circadian blood pressure. All bathings were done at 1630 and comparative study of circadian blood pressure between plain water and CO₂-bathing was carried out.<br>The results obtained were as follows.<br>1) In five cases of non-dippers CO₂-bathing exerted the therapeutic effect upon the high blood pressure at night and resulted in the significant decrease in hyperbaric indici of systolic, mean and diastolic blood pressure, comparing with plain water-bathing. However, no significant difference of heart rate was observed between plain water and CO₂-bathing.<br>2) In a case of good responder to antihypertensive drug, a relatively low blood pressure continued all day after CO₂-bathing.<br>From these results it is expected that a highly concentrated CO₂-bathing is useful as supportive therapy to essential hypertension, specially to non-dipper.