Clinical characteristics of hypertensive disease in patients with alexithymia

To study hemodynamics and metabolism in patients with hypertensive disease and various severity of alexithymia.Psychological testing was included into complex examination of 202 patients with stage II hypertensive disease.Patients with alexithymia had longer duration of hypertensive load, higher frequency of target organs damage, intensified processes of lipid peroxidation and depressed activity of antioxidant defense, derangements of lipid metabolism. Twenty four hour blood pressure index characterizing day-night pressure gradient depended on the psychological status of patients. Nocturnal hypertension or insufficient nocturnal lowering of blood pressure were more frequent in patients with alexithymia.The presence of alexithymic personality traits was associated with more severe clinical presentation of hypertensive disease.