Aortic Arch Calcification on routine Chest Radiography is Strongly and Independently Associated with Non-Dipper Blood Pressure Pattern

Arterial hypertension is the most prevalent chronic disease worldwide, and it is estimated that in Brazil, according to the Vigitel study of 2018, the Brazilian population has 24.7% of hypertensive individuals. It is the most important risk factor for all cardiovascular diseases, being one of the main factors responsible for stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, renal failure, and so on.

Blood pressure is not simply a biological phenomenon characterized by two numbers expressed in mmHg that reflect systolic and diastolic pressure. It is a multiform event resulting from the hydrodynamic action of a complex fluid that exerts force on a compliant vascular wall, with elastic properties governed by multiple forces arising from vascular structures (muscle cells, extracellular matrix, elastic fibers, etc.). This vector wave of blood follows the laws of sympathetic and parasympathetic interaction, varying more or less depending on the conditions of each patient. Therefore, the simple measurement of blood pressure in the office does not reflect the reality of the patient’s true daily life.

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