Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in prepubertal idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy children

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is recommended for several diseases in childhood; however, there are no reports about its use in the monitoring of children with dilated cardiomyopathy so far. We evaluated the pattern of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in children with dilated cardiomyopathy and correlated it to height, weight, and body mass index. METHODS: Prepubertal children with dilated cardiomyopathy were assessed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Data were collected for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Means, for 24hours, daytime, and nighttime, dipping pattern and levels above the normal expected values were computed. RESULTS: Children with cardiomyopathy have the same blood pressure as normal kids. Weight was moderately but significantly correlated to nighttime systolic blood pressure. Children with left ventricular ejection fraction ,50% have 6% less diastolic blood pressure dipping. These same children were also receiving higher doses of carvedilol and captopril. CONCLUSIONS: Children with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy have the same blood pressure values and blood pressure dipping patterns on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring as normal healthy children are expected to have. Children with low left ventricular ejection pressure have lower dipping pattern.