Evaluation of posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis and therapy on diurnal blood pressure patterns from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Introduction The veteran population has a high incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is associated with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular death. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) can identify abnormal diurnal blood pressure (BP) patterns, which are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events. The intent of this evaluation was to examine prior ABPM studies to determine whether veterans with PTSD are more likely to have abnormal nocturnal dipping patterns compared with the general veteran population. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed on all archived ABPM studies and classified by nocturnal dipping status and BP control rates. Pertinent patient demographics of age, sex, concomitant PTSD, and use of selected PTSD therapies were identified at the time of ABPM study. Association between dipping status, BP control rates, and patient demographics were analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. Results A total of 470 ABPM studies were determined to be valid and included. There were no differences in the distribution of nocturnal dipping patterns in veterans with or without PTSD. Likewise, rates of nocturnal, awake, and 24-hour hypertension were similar between groups. In patients with PTSD who were treated with evening PTSD therapy, there was a higher rate of normal dipping status compared with those without treatment (66.7% vs 29.7%, P = .03). Discussion Veterans with PTSD had similar distributions of dipping patterns and rates of overall, awake, and nocturnal hypertension compared with the general veteran population. The association of nocturnal PTSD therapy prescription in patients with PTSD and higher rates of normal dipping status may warrant further investigation.