DIURNAL BLOOD‐PRESSURE VARIATION IN PREGNANCY

Abstract

Summary Blood‐pressure variation throughout the 24 hours has been measured in pregnancy using an automatic cuff type recorder. There is a fall during sleep, the lowest systolic pressures being half the highest during the waking period. This is the same pattern as in the non‐pregnant. A similar pattern exists when pregnancy is accompanied by chronic hypertension, the fall in blood‐pressure being much greater in absolute terms. In pre‐eclampsia the degree of the fall in blood‐pressure during sleep is reduced.