Unveiling the Silent Threat: High Prevalence of Non-Dipping Blood Pressure in Sokoto

Background: Non-dipping blood pressure (BP) patterns, characterized by disruption in the circadian BP rhythm with an insufficient nocturnal BP decline in 24-hour ambulatory BP measurements, are associated with poor renal and cardiovascular outcomes. However, data on the prevalence of non-dipping BP patterns among population of northwest Nigeria remains scarce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-dipping BP patterns in this population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among normotensive patients attending the general outpatient department at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUTHS). Participants underwent 24-hour ABPM to assess nocturnal BP decline. Nondipping was defined as a systolic or diastolic nocturnal BP decline of <10% relative to daytime BP. A reverse BP pattern (nocturnal rise) was also evaluated. Data was analyzed to determine the prevalence of non-dipping BP patterns. Results: Among the participants, 77.4% exhibited either systolic or diastolic nocturnal BP decline <10%, indicating a non-dipping pattern. Isolated systolic non-dipping (<10% decline) was observed in 67.7.9% of patients, while isolated diastolic non-dipping occurred in 54.8%. Combined systolic and diastolic non-dipping (<10% decline in both) was present in (45.2%) of the patients. Additionally, a reverse BP pattern (nocturnal rise) was noted in (22.6%) of the study participants, though its prevalence was lower compared to non-dipping. Conclusion: The study found a high preponderance of non-dipping BP patterns in over half the study participants, indicating insufficient nocturnal BP decline. These findings underscore the necessity for greater awareness and targeted interventions to reduce cardiovascular and renal adverse outcome associated with non-dipping BP patterns in this population. Further research is recommended to explore the determinants and long-term implications of non-dipping BP patterns.