6 research outputs found
Relationship between daytime sleepiness and blood pressure in healthy older adults
Background: Some sleep disorders have been linked
to hypertension, but few studies have examined the relationship
between daytime sleepiness and blood pressure
(BP). This study attempted to determine whether scores on
a short questionnaire assessing daytime sleepiness (Epworth
Sleepiness Scale [ESS]) were associated with BP
and could be used to predict hypertension after 5 years in
healthy older adults who had not previously been diagnosed
with hypertension.
Methods: A group of 157 healthy men and women 55
to 80 years of age completed an extensive medical examination,
a series of psychosocial tests, and two 24-h ambulatory
BP sessions. After 5 years the procedures were
repeated in 133 (85%) of the subjects. Psychosocial variables
and BP were compared in subjects scoring high
(score of 10) and low (10) on the ESS.
Results: Compared to individuals with low ESS sores,
those scoring high had increased casual and sleep BP as well as higher systolic BP levels and diastolic BP variability
during waking hours, and reported higher levels of
anger, depression, anxiety, and intensity of psychological
symptoms as well as lower defensiveness. Individuals with
high ESS scores were more likely to be diagnosed with
hypertension 5 years later. Groups with high and low ESS
scores did not differ significantly on any other variables.
Conclusions: The ESS, a simple measure of daytime
sleepiness, identified individuals at risk for hypertension.
Future studies should investigate the possibility that diagnosis
and treatment of daytime sleepiness could aid in BP
reduction and ultimately in decreased morbidity and mortality
from cardiovascular disorders. Am J Hypertens
2004;17:787–792 © 2004 American Journal of Hypertension,
Ltd
Scale Invariance and Nonlinear Patterns of Human Activity
We investigate if known extrinsic and intrinsic factors fully account for the
complex features observed in recordings of human activity as measured from
forearm motion in subjects undergoing their regular daily routine. We
demonstrate that the apparently random forearm motion possesses previously
unrecognized dynamic patterns characterized by fractal and nonlinear dynamics.
These patterns are unaffected by changes in the average activity level, and
persist when the same subjects undergo time-isolation laboratory experiments
designed to account for the circadian phase and to control the known extrinsic
factors. We attribute these patterns to a novel intrinsic multi-scale dynamic
regulation of human activity.Comment: 4 pages, three figure