Ambulatory Pulse Pressure Predicts the Development of Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Over 20 Years of Follow-up.

BACKGROUND

Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) has been shown to have an association with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in cross-sectional assessments. We evaluated the association between ABP measurement (ABPM) and the development of LVDD during over 20 years of follow up in 414 middle-aged subjects from OPERA cohort.

METHODS

ABPM, clinical, and anthropometric measurements were performed in baseline. Echocardiographic measurements were performed at baseline and during follow-up and E/E' ≥15 was considered indicating significant LVDD.

RESULTS

Several baseline clinical characteristics (age, female gender, short stature, body mass index, prevalence of diabetes, in-office systolic BP (SBP), in-office pulse pressure (PP), N-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, and the use of antihypertensive therapy) were associated with the development of LVDD. Baseline 24-hour mean, daytime mean or nighttime mean SBP or diastolic BP were not associated with the development of LVDD, neither were different circadian BP profiles. Instead 24-hour mean, daytime mean and nighttime mean PP showed significant association with the development of LVDD (P from <0.001 to 0.001) even after adjustment with significant baseline clinical characteristics (P from 0.001 to 0.016).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that ambulatory PP has an independent predictive value in the development of LVDD during over 20 years of follow-up.