Relationship between C-reactive protein/albumin ratio and dipper/nondipper pattern in normotensive individuals.

Objective: Nondipper blood pressure pattern plays an important role in cardiovascular events even in normotensive individuals. The relationship between CRP (C-reactive protein)/albumin ratio (CAR), a valuable marker of inflammation and cardiovascular diseases, has been studied for a long time. We aimed to investigate the relationship between CAR and dipper/nondipper pattern in normotensive subjects.

Methods: A total of 78 dipper and 78 nondipper participants, based on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), were retrospectively included in our study. CAR and other parameters of all participants were collected from blood samples taken at the time of monitoring.

Results: CAR was significantly higher in the nondipper group than dipper group ( P = 0.001). CAR was negatively and significantly correlated with nocturnal SBP fall ratio and nocturnal DBP fall ratio ( P < 0.001). CRP/albumin ratio was found significantly and independently associated with the nondipper pattern ( P = 0.002).

Conclusion: We found that normotensive individuals with nondipping pattern tend to have increased CAR. Increased inflammatory response could contribute to increase in the atherosclerotic risk in nondippers compared with dippers even in a normotensive profile.