Since many regions of the United States set or matched daily cold records before the winter solstice, it’s not a bad idea to have a home blood pressure monitor due to the effect of cold weather on blood pressure (BP). Seasonal variations in BP have been recognized and well documented in several research studies from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, but optimal use of information derived from those studies cannot be achieved without widespread use. home blood pressure monitoring devices. By being aware of seasonal changes in patients affected by this phenomenon, clinicians can make appropriate adjustments to achieve and/or maintain good BP control and minimize the damaging effects of high BP on various parts of the body.
Research studies have shown an inverse relationship between ambient temperature and blood pressure levels, with pressure readings being higher during cold weather and lower in hot and warm weather. A notable study from France involved 8,801 adult patients over the age of 65 over a two-year period, during which 33.4% of people in the study had high BP readings during the winter compared to 23. 8% during the summer. . Elevated blood pressure readings during the winter were seen for both systolic and diastolic pressure, but the study only reported the average systolic pressure elevation for the group, which was 5 points higher in the winter than in the summer .
Other studies using home blood pressure monitor technology or 24-hour ambulatory monitors have shown similar findings, with the most drastic variations in BP occurring in regions of the world with the most extreme seasonal changes in temperature. The BP changes that occurred were similar between the men and women studied.
The cause of this phenomenon, known in the health community as seasonality of hypertension, is unknown, but some theories have been proposed. One is that the sympathetic nervous system, which prepares the body to deal with stressful or emergency situations, is heightened in cold weather, which, along with decreased sodium excretion due to decreased sweating, increases blood pressure. The corollary hypothesis is that during warm and hot seasons greater amounts of sodium are excreted through sweat. Increased sodium excretion is accompanied by loss of fluid volume in the blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.
Some have even postulated that high BP readings during the winter may be responsible for the increased incidence of stroke and cardiovascular complications such as heart attack, congestive heart failure, and angina during the winter months, which have been observed in some studies. Those who know or knew someone who suffered a heart attack or stroke while shoveling snow on a cold winter’s day would probably have no difficulty believing this theory, particularly if the victim had hypertension that wasn’t being closely monitored between changes. of station.
Not only is it important to closely monitor blood pressure by using a home blood pressure monitor during cold seasons, but it is also important as the weather turns warm and hot, especially if a person with hypertension you are taking a diuretic (a medicine that increases the amount of urine and sodium excretion). Since diuretics not only cause a desired decrease in BP, if the sodium excretion caused by them is excessive, they can cause abnormally low readings, which in itself can be problematic, especially in the elderly, where the risk of fainting and bodily injury is common. .
The time to get a home blood pressure monitor, if you don’t already have one, is therefore not just when you can get one for a holiday gift you didn’t like, but often any season of the year. and regular use of it to report pressure readings to your doctor. It is responsible and it could be something that saves lives.
