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Scores on a simple test may be able to diagnose whether people who are sleepy during the day have a sleep disorder and get them the treatment they need to avoid future hypertension, according to a study reported in the September issue of the American Journal of Hypertension.
The test is known as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), a short questionnaire that measures daytime sleepiness. Some sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, but few studies have examined the relationship between daytime sleepiness and blood pressure.
Researchers at the University of California- Los Angeles and the University of California-San Diego examined whether scores on the ESS were associated with blood pressure and could be used to predict hypertension after five years in healthy older adults who had not previously been diagnosed with hypertension.
The study involved 157 healthy men and women between the ages of 55 and 80 years of age. The participants completed an extensive medical examination and a series of psychosocial tests. They also had their blood pressure monitored during two 24-hour sessions in which they went about their normal activities. After five years the procedures were repeated in 133 or 85% of the subjects.
Compared to individuals with low ESS sores, those scoring high had increased blood pressure while awake and asleep as well as higher systolic (top number) blood pressure levels and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure variability during waking hours.
The high scorers also reported higher levels of anger, depression, anxiety and intensity of psychological symptoms. Individuals with high ESS scores were more likely to be diagnosed with hypertension five years later.
The researchers said more study is needed to determine whether the diagnosis and treatment of daytime sleepiness could aid in blood pressure reduction and, ultimately, in decreased health problems and death from cardiovascular disorders.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of October 9, 2004
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