Ambulatory blood pressure and blood pressure variability in normotensive male and female adults with a family history of hypertension

Introduction: Individuals with a family history of hypertension (FHH) are at a greater risk for developing hypertension compared to those without FHH. Early detection and timely treatment of hypertension reduce the complications of hypertension. One method for early detection of hypertension is through measurement of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure, which also allows for more accurate measurement of blood pressure compared to clinic or home blood pressure monitoring. Thus, we aimed to assess 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and blood pressure variability in normotensive young to middle-aged adults with and without FHH. We hypothesized that males and females with a FHH would exhibit higher ambulatory blood pressure and blood pressure variability compared to matched individuals without FHH. Methods: Forty seven healthy, normotensive adults (24 – 49 years, n = 22 males; MAP = 86±8 mmHg, n = 25 females; MAP = 81±10 mmHg) with a FHH (parent/s or sibling/s with hypertension diagnosed before the age of 60 years) and 49 age, body mass index, and blood pressure (BP) matched (n = 24 males, MAP = 84±10 mmHg, n = 25 females; MAP = 77±9 mmHg) adults without FHH participated in the study. Ambulatory BP measurements using EDAN SA-10 monitor were obtained every 20 minutes during daytime and every 30 minutes during nighttime for a total of 24 hours continuously in each participant. Average daytime, nighttime, and 24-hour weighted average systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were calculated. Blood pressure variability was quantified as standard deviation, coefficient of variation of daytime, nighttime BPs and average real variability of 24-hour SBP, DBP, and MAP. Results: 24-hour weighted average MAP was significantly higher in males compared to females (p < 0.001) with no interaction between sex and FHH status (p = 0.823). Similar results were observed for 24-hour average SBP and DBP, as well as daytime and nighttime BPs. There was no interaction effect (FHH x sex, p > 0.05) or main effects of FHH or sex (p > 0.05) for any of the measures of ambulatory blood pressure variability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and blood pressure variability may not be useful in the early detection of risk of developing hypertension in normotensive adults with FHH. Funding: University of Peradeniya University Research Grant URG/2023/25/M This abstract was presented at the American Physiology Summit 2026 and is only available in HTML format. There is no downloadable file or PDF version. The Physiology editorial board was not involved in the peer review process.