Key result
Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during the Great East Japan Earthquake detected elevated blood pressure on the day of the event, whereas home blood pressure monitoring did not show elevation until the following day.
Why the study?
Does exposure to a major earthquake increase ambulatory blood pressure?
Does exposure to a major earthquake increase ambulatory blood pressure?
Major earthquakes are associated with an immediate elevation in ambulatory blood pressure, which precedes elevations in home blood pressure.
ABPM may detect acute earthquake-related BP surges missed by home monitoring; leaves open prospective validation in disaster cohorts.
Major natural disasters can severely affect people’s health. This paper examines the relationship between 3 earthquakes and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Regarding elevated blood pressure (BP), similar data is evident in all three major earthquakes (Central Italy, China and Japan). The natural disaster spotlighted in this paper is the Great East Japan Earthquake, which occurred in north-east Japan on March 11, 2011 (magnitude 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale [MMS]). During this earthquake, thirteen patients were monitored by ABPM as part of this study, it was noted that participant BP was elevated; but it is worth noting that their home BP did not become elevated until the following day.
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Watanabe et al. (2014) conducted a review in Hypertension (n=13). Earthquake exposure (mental stress) vs. Pre-earthquake baseline was evaluated on Ambulatory blood pressure elevation. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring during the Great East Japan Earthquake detected elevated blood pressure on the day of the event, whereas home blood pressure monitoring did not show elevation until the following day.
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