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High pulse pressure as a marker of preclinical cardiovascular disease

Giovanni de Simone1, Marcello Chinali

  • 1Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Federico II University Hospital, via S. Pansini 5-80131 Naples, Italy. simogi@unina.it

Future Cardiology
|October 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Elevated brachial pulse pressure, especially over 63 mmHg, indicates existing cardiovascular damage in hypertension. It should be viewed as a marker of preclinical disease, not a risk factor for developing arterial disease.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Clinical Diagnostics

Background:

  • Pulse pressure's prognostic significance is increasingly recognized.
  • High systolic and low diastolic pressures offer pathophysiological explanations for pulse pressure's prognostic value.
  • Existing research links pulse pressure to adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between brachial pulse pressure and cardiovascular damage.
  • To determine if elevated brachial pulse pressure signifies established preclinical cardiovascular disease.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of brachial pulse pressure in patients with normal or high peripheral resistance.
  • Assessment of left ventricular mass and arterial stiffness in relation to brachial pulse pressure.

Main Results:

  • Brachial pulse pressure correlated with increased left ventricular mass and arterial stiffness.
  • A brachial pulse pressure exceeding 63 mmHg was identified as a marker of established cardiovascular damage in hypertensive individuals.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated brachial pulse pressure is associated with structural and functional cardiovascular changes.
  • Brachial pulse pressure over 63 mmHg signifies established preclinical cardiovascular disease in arterial hypertension.
  • Suggests reclassifying elevated brachial pulse pressure as a marker of existing disease rather than a future risk factor.

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