Association of interarm systolic blood pressure difference with atherosclerosis and left ventricular hypertrophy

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 7; no. 8; p. e41173
• Main Authors: Su, Ho-Ming, Lin, Tsung-Hsien, Hsu, Po-Chao, Chu, Chun-Yuan, Lee, Wen-Hsien, Chen, Szu-Chia, Lee, Chee-Siong, Voon, Wen-Chol, Lai, Wen-Ter, Sheu, Sheng-Hsiung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23-08-2012; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Age Factors; Ankle; Ankle Brachial Index; Antilipemic agents; Arm; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Atherosclerosis - physiopathology; Biology; Blood; Blood Pressure; Blood Pressure Determination - methods; Body mass; Body mass index; Body size; Cardiology; Cardiovascular disease; Dosage and administration; Drug therapy; Electrocardiography; Female; Health aspects; Heart; Heart hypertrophy; Hospitals; Humans; Hypertension; Hypertrophy; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular - physiopathology; Internal medicine; Male; Mathematical models; Medicine; Middle Aged; Mortality; Nephrology; Patients; Prevention; Pulse Wave Analysis; Risk factors; Sex Factors; Vascular diseases; Ventricle; Wave velocity; Taiwan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041173

An interarm systolic blood pressure (SBP) difference of 10 mmHg or more have been associated with peripheral artery disease and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. We investigated whether an association exists between this difference and ankle-brachial index (ABI), brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), and echocardiographic parameters. A total of 1120 patients were included in the study. The bilateral arm blood pressures were measured simultaneously by an ABI-form device. The values of ABI and baPWV were also obtained from the same device. Clinical data, ABI<0.9, baPWV, echocariographic parameters, and an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg were compared and analyzed. We performed two multivariate forward analyses for determining the factors associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg [model 1: significant variables in univariate analysis except left ventricular mass index (LVMI); model 2: significant variables in univariate analysis except ABI<0.9 and baPWV]. The ABI<0.9 and high baPWV in model 1 and high LVMI in model 2 were independently associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg. Female, hypertension, and high body mass index were also associated with an interarm SBP difference ≥10 mmHg. Our study demonstrated that ABI<0.9, high baPWV, and high LVMI were independently associated with an interarm SBP difference of 10 mmHg or more. Detection of an interarm SBP difference may provide a simple method of detecting patients at increased risk of atherosclerosis and left ventricular hypertrophy.