High blood pressure (BP) is a serious and rapidly growing health crisis in India, affecting nearly 1 in 4 adults and causing around 1.6 million deaths every year, according to the Indian Heart Association. While keeping a check on your BP is one part of how you can track your health vitals, there's another part many miss out on.
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In a September 9 Instagram video, Dr Alok Chopra, a cardiologist with over 40 years of experience, highlighted this problem, stressing that your BP may look fine during the day, but what happens at night is also very important and can tell you a lot about your cardiovascular health.
Why is your nighttime blood pressure reading also important?
According to Dr Alok, your high blood pressure reading is just one part of the story; what actually matters is your nighttime blood pressure. Explaining the reason, the cardiologist stated, “When we sleep, the body is supposed to be relaxed and normally your BP should drop by at least 10% at night.”
But if the BP doesn't drop at night, the risk of strokes and organ damage is much higher. Therefore, if you often experience broken sleep, then there is a chance that BP is silently damaging your body.
‘Don’t ignore it. Consistent BP management matters.’
{{/usCountry}}But if the BP doesn't drop at night, the risk of strokes and organ damage is much higher. Therefore, if you often experience broken sleep, then there is a chance that BP is silently damaging your body.
‘Don’t ignore it. Consistent BP management matters.’
{{/usCountry}}That's why Dr Alok emphasises that consistently managing blood pressure is extremely important. “
What does research say?
According to the Journal of the American Heart Association, nighttime blood pressure (BP) dipping is a natural manifestation of circadian rhythm and the body's physiological processes during sleep. Therefore, elevated nighttime BP and nighttime BP without the expected decrease from daytime BP readings are associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes and risk of incident heart failure.
The same study also found that lower nighttime BP was associated with more adverse outcomes. Moreover, nighttime hypertension, a condition where nighttime BP remains elevated, is influenced by both lifestyle and physiological factors, including sleep disturbances and certain medical conditions.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
Dr Alok Chopra is a renowned Delhi-based cardiologist with 40 years of experience. He completed his MBBS and postgraduate studies at Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. He is also a member of the Royal College of Physicians, London. After completing his residency at GB Pant Hospital, New Delhi, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Cardiology at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London. Dr Chopra specialises in diseases of the heart and circulatory system.
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