[Influence of treatment with olmesartan on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters in patients with arterial hypertension].

Hypertension is the most common disease of the cardiovascular system. Active treatment of hypertension with adequate control of blood pressure (BP) can prevent complications, improve life quality and increase life expectancy. One of the interesting new antihypertensive agents, from the group of angiotensin receptor blockers is olmesartan. The obvious advantages of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to traditional one-time measurements of BP make this method perspective for quality control of anti-hypertensive therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of treatment with olmesartan on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring parameters in patients with hypertension. 38 out-patients with hypertension at the age of 25-84 years (mean 55,3±10,6) were studied. Patients received olmesartan 20 mg daily as monotherapy (20 patients (52,6%)) or in combination with other antihypertensive agents (18 patients (47,4%)). Treatment continued for 6 months. The complex examination included: measurement of office brachial BP, electrocardiography, echocardiography and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). As a result of treatment, office BP and diurnal BP, according to ABPM, significantly decreased; the favorable circadian BP profile dynamics were found: significantly less frequently observed lack of reduction in BP during night (daily index - non-dipper) - 18% vs. 64% (p <0,001), while the number of individuals with normal daily index (dipper) increased significantly - 76% vs. 28% (p <0,001). Also there was determined the significant reduction in daytime and nighttime systolic BP variability - by 1.5 mmHg and 2.1 mmHg, respectively, with the normalization of these parameters at the end of the observation period. The presented results allow conclude, that treatment of hypertensive patients with olmesartan provides significant decline not only in office BP, but also in diurnal BP, normalizes BP of active and passive periods, also - daily index and reduces BP variability.