Blood pressure during sleep is associated with arterial stiffness and urine microalbumin to creatinine ratio in youth with type 1 diabetes

Optimal nighttime blood pressure monitoring schedule using home monitors in children and adolescents: association with ambulatory blood pressure and preclinical target-organ damage

Nighttime blood pressure assessed by home monitors (HBP) appears to be a feasible and reliable alternative to ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring in adults. This study evaluated the optimal schedule for nighttime HBP monitoring in children and adolescents in terms of its agreement with nighttime ABP and association with preclinical target organ damage (TOD). Individuals aged 6-18 years referred for elevated blood pressure were evaluated with ABP (24 h) and HBP monitoring (daytime: 7 days, duplicate morning and evening measurements; night-time: 3 nights, 3 automated asleep measurements at 1-hour interval/night), as well as with determination of left ventricular mass index (LVMI), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). Forty-nine children with all 9 nighttime HBP measurements (3 nights) were analyzed [mean age 13.4 ± 2.7 (SD) years, males 51%]. By averaging an increasing number of nighttime systolic HBP readings, there was a consistent trend towards stronger association with nighttime ABP (correlation coefficients r increased from 0.65 to 0.81), and with TOD indices (for LVMI r increased from 0.21 to 0.30; cIMT from 0.38 to 0.57; PWV from 0.60 to 0.69). However, no further improvement in these associations was observed by averaging more than 4 nighttime readings. The diagnostic agreement between the 2 methods in detecting nocturnal hypertension was progressively improved by averaging more nighttime HBP readings, and reached a plateau at 4 measurements. Four nighttime home BP measurements, performed during at least 2 nights appear to be the minimum requirement for a reliable assessment of nighttime HBP in children and adolescents, regarding its agreement with ABP and association with TOD. HBP monitoring in children and adolescents constitutes an alluring alternative to ABP monitoring concerning nighttime BP measurements since it provides reasonable agreement with ABP measurements and similar association with target organ damage indices. The optimal nighttime HBP schedule requires at least 4 nighttime home BP measurements, performed during at least 2 nights, which is in line with similar studies in adults.

The Nondipping Blood Pattern in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Pathophysiology, Complications, and Management Strategies

BACKGROUND

The nondipping blood pressure (BP) pattern, characterized by a less than 10% decline in sleep-time BP compared to awake-time values, is prevalent in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) risk.

CASE REPORT

This review discusses the prevalence, pathophysiological mechanisms, complications, and management strategies of the nondipping pattern in T1DM. The nondipping pattern is linked to poor cardiac autonomic function, higher rates of albuminuria, early markers of diabetic kidney disease, and increased arterial stiffness. It is also associated with a two-fold increase in all-cause mortality.

DISCUSSION

Despite its clinical significance, there is no consensus on specific treatment recommendations for nondippers with T1DM. While some studies suggest that bedtime administration of antihypertensive medications, such as ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers, can improve the dipping pattern and reduce CV events, these findings are primarily based on studies in the general hypertensive population. Emerging evidence also indicates a potential role for vitamin D supplementation and lifestyle interventions in improving BP variability.

CONCLUSION

Further research is needed to develop evidence-based management strategies tailored to nondippers with T1DM, aiming to reduce CV risk and improve long-term outcomes.

Ambulatory blood pressure parameters and their association with albuminuria in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the blood pressure (BP) status, including arterial stiffness parameters, hemodynamic indicators, circadian profile, and its association with albuminuria in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1).

METHODS

The analysis included 46 patients, with diabetes duration of 7.38 ± 3.48 years. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was conducted using an oscillometric device, the Mobil-O-Graph, which is a Pulse Wave Analysis Monitor.

RESULTS

Hypertension (HT) was diagnosed in 31 adolescents (67% of patients), primarily due to isolated nocturnal BP (21 cases, 68% of HT cases). The HT group exhibited significantly increased diastolic load (DL). Pulse wave velocity (PWV, a measure of arterial stiffness) values showed a strong correlation with both peripheral systolic BP (r = 0.954) and central systolic BP (r = 0.838). Additionally, non-dipping status was found in 61% of the HT group. Urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was positively correlated with diastolic BP (particularly nocturnal) peripheral and central BP, DL, heart rate, augmentation index (AIx@75), and nocturnal total vascular resistance (TVR). Diastolic non-dippers exhibited a significant increase in UAE.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypertension is a common complication in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus, primarily caused by elevated nocturnal diastolic BP. Albuminuria is mainly associated with diastolic BP, especially during the nocturnal period and in cases of diastolic non-dipping status. The association of UAE with AIx@75 and nocturnal TVR suggests the presence of early-stage vascular disease in diabetic adolescents.

Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk in People with Type 1 Diabetes: A Comprehensive and Specific Proposed Practical Approach

People living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and it is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in this population. CVD risk increases with each uncontrolled risk factor, even in individuals with good glycaemic control. Recommendations for assessing CVD risk in the T1D population are extended from those for type 2 diabetes (T2D) even though the physiopathology and underlying mechanisms of atherosclerosis in T1D are poorly understood and differ from those in T2D. Unlike the assessment of microvascular complications, which is well established in T1D, this is far from being the case for the comorbidities and risk associated with CVD. Aside from classical cardiovascular comorbidities, carotid ultrasound can be useful to stratify CVD risk. The utilization of specific risk scales such as the Steno Type 1 Risk Engine can help to more accurately classify cardiovascular risk in these individuals. The cornerstones of the management of cardiovascular risk in T1D are the promotion of the Mediterranean diet, tight glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) < 7%), blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg in most patients, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol < 100 mg/dL in moderate-risk individuals, < 70 mg/dL in high-risk individuals, and < 55 mg/dL in very high-risk individuals. Conventional medical follow-up of patients with T1D should be individualized (approximately 2-3 visits per year), and a carotid ultrasound evaluation is recommended every 5 years in the absence of significant preclinical atherosclerosis or more often in those with severe preclinical atherosclerosis. Antithrombotic therapy is recommended in those receiving secondary prevention, those with stenosis > 50% in any arterial bed, and those with an impaired ankle-brachial index. This document is a proposal of a practical approach for the evaluation, classification, and management of CVD risk in individuals living with T1D.

Arterial stiffness and the non-dipping pattern in type 1 diabetes males with and without erectile dysfunction

Arterial stiffness (AS) and non-dipping pattern are early predictors of cardiovascular diseases but are not used in clinical practice. We aimed to assess if AS and the non-dipping pattern are more prevalent in the erectile dysfunction (ED) group than in the non-ED group among subjects with type 1 diabetes (T1DM). The study group consisted of adults with T1DM. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV Ao)-a marker of increased AS, central systolic blood pressure, and heart rate (HR) were measured with a brachial oscillometric device (Arteriograph 24). Erectile dysfunction (ED) was assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5. A comparison between the groups with and without ED was performed. Of 34 investigated men with T1DM, 12 (35.3%) suffered from ED. The group with ED had higher mean 24 h HR (77.7 [73.7-86.5] vs 69.9 [64.0-76.8]/min; p = 0.04, nighttime PWV Ao (8.1 [6.8-8.5] vs 6.8 [6.1-7.5] m/s; p = 0.015) and prevalence of non-dipping SBP Ao pattern (11 [91.7] vs 12 [54.5]%; p = 0.027) than individuals without ED. The presence of ED detected a central non-dipping pattern with a sensitivity of 47.8% and a specificity of 90.9%. The central non-dipping pattern was more prevalent and the nighttime PWV was higher in T1DM subjects with ED than in those without ED.

Technological Ecological Momentary Assessment Tools to Study Type 1 Diabetes in Youth: Viewpoint of Methodologies

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing. The management of glucose in T1D is challenging, as youth must consider a myriad of factors when making diabetes care decisions. This task often leads to significant hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and glucose variability throughout the day, which have been associated with short- and long-term medical complications. At present, most of what is known about each of these complications and the health behaviors that may lead to them have been uncovered in the clinical setting or in laboratory-based research. However, the tools often used in these settings are limited in their ability to capture the dynamic behaviors, feelings, and physiological changes associated with T1D that fluctuate from moment to moment throughout the day. A better understanding of T1D in daily life could potentially aid in the development of interventions to improve diabetes care and mitigate the negative medical consequences associated with it. Therefore, there is a need to measure repeated, real-time, and real-world features of this disease in youth. This approach is known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and it has considerable advantages to in-lab research. Thus, this viewpoint aims to describe EMA tools that have been used to collect data in the daily lives of youth with T1D and discuss studies that explored the nuances of T1D in daily life using these methods. This viewpoint focuses on the following EMA methods: continuous glucose monitoring, actigraphy, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, personal digital assistants, smartphones, and phone-based systems. The viewpoint also discusses the benefits of using EMA methods to collect important data that might not otherwise be collected in the laboratory and the limitations of each tool, future directions of the field, and possible clinical implications for their use.

Nighttime Home Blood Pressure in Children: Association with Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Preclinical Organ Damage

[Figure: see text].