This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rodriguez, C. J. Articles by Di Tullio, M. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Rodriguez, C. J. Articles by Di Tullio, M. R. Related Collections Social Support Blood Pressure

Effect of Social Support on Nocturnal Blood Pressure Dipping

From the Department of Medicine (C.J.R., M.M.B., J.M., T.G.P., S.H., M.R.D.T.), Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Neurology (R.L.S., B.B.-A.), Columbia University, New York, New York; Department of Epidemiology (C.J.R., R.L.S.), Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Sociomedical Science (B.B.-A.), Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Biostatistics (Z.J.), Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York; Department of Neurology (R.L.S.), University of Miami, Miami, Florida; and Section of Cardiovascular Medicine (M.W.B.), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Carlos J. Rodriguez, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, 622 W 168th street; PH 3-342, New York, NY 10032. E-mail: cjr10{at}columbia.edu

Objective: To determine if nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping among non-Hispanic blacks is influenced by social support. Non-Hispanic blacks have higher rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality from hypertension and are more likely to have ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) that remains high at night (nondipping).

Methods: A total of 68 non-Hispanic black normotensive and 13 untreated hypertensive participants (age 72 ± 10 years, 48% female) free of clinical cardiovascular disease completed 24-hour ABP monitoring and a questionnaire that included a modified version of the CARDIA Study Social Support Scale (CSSS). Nondipping was defined as a decrease of <10% in the ratio between average awake and average asleep systolic BP. Analyses were adjusted for age, gender, and systolic BP.

Results: The prevalence of nondipping was 26.8% in subjects in the highest CSSS tertile versus 41.1% in the lowest CSSS tertile (p = .009). On adjusted analysis, CSSS was analyzed as a continuous variable and remained independently and inversely associated with nondipping (odds ratio 0.27, 95% Confidence Interval 0.08–0.94, p = .04).

Conclusions: Social support may be an important predictor of BP dipping at night. These findings suggest that social support may have positive health affects through physiologic (autonomic) pathways.

Key Words: ambulatory blood pressure monitoring • social support • African-Americans • hypertension

Abbreviations: BP = blood pressure; ABP = ambulatory blood pressure; NOMASS = Northern Manhattan Stroke Study; CSSS = CARDIA Social Support Scale; BMI = body mass index; OR = odds ratio; SD = standard deviation.