Franz Halberg – författare

This fascinating volume applies the concept of chronomics to the medical treatment of hypertension. It starts with the recent updates on chronomics, the analytic techniques, and their application to community-based assessments. The authors advocate the use of 7-day/24-h records of blood pressure, which is effective for finding masked hypertension, masked morning surge, and other rhythm abnormalities. Most organisms, from cyanobacteria to mammals, are known to use the circadian mechanism. However, our body systems also demonstrate circaseptan (roughly weekly), circannual (roughly yearly), and even longer rhythms. Chronomics monitors the physiological data and then analyzes the superimposed rhythms, isolating the cycles mathematically to determine how organisms and their environment interact. It is the study of interactions among time structures (chronomes) in and around us.

This fascinating volume applies the concept of chronomics to the medical treatment of hypertension. It starts with the recent updates on chronomics, the analytic techniques, and their application to community-based assessments. The authors advocate the use of 7-day/24-h records of blood pressure, which is effective for finding masked hypertension, masked morning surge, and other rhythm abnormalities. Most organisms, from cyanobacteria to mammals, are known to use the circadian mechanism. However, our body systems also demonstrate circaseptan (roughly weekly), circannual (roughly yearly), and even longer rhythms. Chronomics monitors the physiological data and then analyzes the superimposed rhythms, isolating the cycles mathematically to determine how organisms and their environment interact. It is the study of interactions among time structures (chronomes) in and around us.

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute, Hannover, Germany, July 13-25, 1979

High blood pressure (BP) (with fats and smoking) is one of the three roots of cardio-cerebro-renovascular disease affecting up to 25% of the adult population. Hence, high blood pressure should be recognized and treated, to reduce any complications and prolong life, as noted by Michael Weber of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, California. He further emphasizes the need for monitoring before one starts the treatment of high blood pressure. Indeed, he refers to the results of the Australian study on mild hypertension with a large percentage of placebo­ responders and rightly suggests that many people are treated who should not be because of ''white-coat-associated high blood pressure''. He also points to the lack of standardization of techniques for data analysis and of methods of BP measurement. Ambulatory monitoring under usual condi­ tions without concomitant recording of events does not allow even a qualitative assessment of the impact of varying stimuli, in weber''s opinion.