Objectives To study the relationship between parameters of 24 hour dynamic blood pressure (BP) and plasma brain natriuretic peptide and left ventricular hypertrophy in elderly Hyperension patients.

Methods Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) for 24 hour was performed in 120 aged EH patients (mean ages 72.4 ± 11.3years) with 60 middle-young aged EH patients (mean ages 49.7 ± 9.4 years) served as control. Echocardiography were used to determined left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and mass index (EVMI) in all subjects, meanwhile, Plasma BNP level was measured by radiommunoassay for identical subject. Aged EH group consisted of 49 dippers and 71 nondippers, 43 cases with LVH and 57 cases without, while amone middle-young aged group, 17 cases were nondippers and 16 cases with left wentricular hypertrophy. ABPM, BNP and EVMI were analysed.

Results (1) Plasma BNP lever and nondipper/dipper ratio (57.5%/28.3%) were significantly higher in aged EH group than those in control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (2) Compared with dippers, nondippers had a higher BNP plasma and LVMI (P < 0.01, P < 0.01) in aged EH group. (3) Plasma BNP lever was significantly increased in aged EH patients with LVH as compared with those without LVH (P < 0.05).

Conclusions Plasma brain natriuretic peptide lever can reflect blood pressure variety and left ventricular reconstruction in elderly hypertensives.