Heart rate turbulence in masked hypertension and white-coat hypertension.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To observe the heart rate turbulence (HRT) in patients with masked hypertension (MH), and white-coat hypertension (WCH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were classified on the basis of clinic and 24h ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring essential hypertension (H, n = 32), masked hypertension (MH, n=26), white-coat hypertension (WCH, n = 29) and normotension (NT, n = 30). For each subject, we recorded 24 hours holter monitoring electrocardiogram, calculated the turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS) and compared the differences. RESULTS: Compared with NT controls, the differences of TO and TS in the patients with EH, MH and WCH were statistically significant (p < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the EH, MH and WCH groups. CONCLUSIONS: The HRT in EH, MH and WCH patients is significantly lower, when their autonomic nerve function is damaged.