Abstract:
Background: Dipping of blood pressure (BP) at night is a normal physiological phenomenon. However, a non-dip-
ping pattern is associated with hypertension mediated organ damage, secondary forms of hypertension and poorer
long-term outcome. Identifying a non-dipping pattern may be useful in assessing risk, aiding the decision to investi-
gate for secondary causes, initiating treatment, assisting decisions on choice and timing of antihypertensive therapy,
and intensifying salt restriction.
Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with non-dipping pattern and determine the effect of
6 months of three antihypertensive regimens on the dipping pattern among Black African hypertensive patients.
Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the CREOLE Study which was a randomized, single blind, three-group
trial conducted in 10 sites in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries. The participants were 721 Black African patients, aged
between 30 and 79 years, with uncontrolled hypertension and a baseline 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
(ABPM). Dipping was calculated from the average day and average night systolic blood pressure measures.
Results: The prevalence of non-dipping pattern was 78% (564 of 721). Factors that were independently associated
with non-dipping were: serum sodium > 140 mmol/l (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.17–2.51, p-value 0.005), a higher office
systolic BP (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05, p-value 0.003) and a lower office diastolic BP (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99,
p-value 0.03). Treatment allocation did not change dipping status at 6 months (McNemar’s Chi2 0.71, p-value 0.40).
Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of non-dipping among Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension.
ABPM should be considered more routinely in Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension, if resources permit, to
help personalise therapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and causes of non-dipping pat-
tern and if targeting night-time BP improves clinical outcomes.
