Individualized assessment of circadian rhythm characteristics of human blood pressure and pulse after moderate salt and weight restriction

Elevated blood pressure is a medical problem receiving much attention today, since its treatment can be helpful. Indications for treatment, however, are often unreliable when based on casual blood pressure measurements. The prominence of circadlan rhythms in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse is well documented in the literature and led us to this study aimed at an individual assessment of any effects of salt and calorie restriction upon circadian rhythms in these cardiovascular variables. Instrumentation for automatic monitoring of blood pressure and pulse and, what is equally important, hardware and software for analysis of dense data series over at least 24-h spans greatly facilitate the realization of such a project. The methodology tested in this study for assessing intervention effects coupled to automatic data collection and analysis is also applicable to projects including drug therapy. The method here used should point the way toward getting more for less through chronobiologic literacy for health care, including chronotherapy with chronohygiene.