Serum ADMA levels linked to circadian BP variability in glaucoma patients

Serum levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) seem to play a major role in the disturbance of circadian blood pressure (BP) variability in patients with glaucoma, suggests a recent study.

“Glaucoma is reportedly associated with ADMA and circadian BP variability, including night-time systolic [S]BP,” according to the investigators, who conducted this cross-sectional study to measure the serum ADMA level and ambulatory BP of 163 glaucoma patients and 705 participants without glaucoma.

Subsequently, they divided the patients into three groups based on the tertiles of serum ADMA level: low, intermediate, and high.

Night-time SBP was determined through ambulatory BP measured every 30 min for 48 hours. The nondipper BP pattern was defined as having a night-time mean SBP decline of <10 percent when compared with the mean daytime SBP.

The night-time SBP of patients with glaucoma in the high-ADMA group was significantly higher than that in the low-ADMA group (124.0 vs 114.4 mm Hg; p=0.003).

In multivariable analysis with adjustments for potential confounders, night-time SBP (p=0.030) and the odds ratio for nondipper BP in the high-ADMA group (p=0.021) were also significantly increased when compared with those in the low-ADMA group. Likewise, continuous serum ADMA levels were significantly associated with night-time SBP (p=0.002) and nondipper BP (p=0.006).

However, serum ADMA levels showed no significant association with night-time SBP and nondipper BP in the control group. Notably, a significant interaction effect of the serum ADMA levels and glaucoma on nondipper BP was observed (p=0.004).