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The shape of the blood pressure curve and genetic hypertension

M E Safar1, A Benetos

  • 1Michel E. Safar and Athanase Benetos are at the Department of Internal Medicine and INSERM (U337), Broussais Hospital, Paris, France.

Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine
|January 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Analyzing the entire blood pressure curve, not just peak systolic and end-diastolic pressures, offers a more comprehensive view of hypertensive vascular disease. This detailed analysis, including mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure, is crucial for understanding cardiovascular risk and guiding genetic studies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Medical Engineering

Background:

  • Traditional hypertension definitions rely on peak systolic and end-diastolic pressures.
  • Understanding hypertension as a mechanical signal requires analyzing the complete blood pressure curve.
  • Age-related hemodynamic changes significantly alter blood pressure curve phenotypes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advocate for detailed analysis of the entire blood pressure curve in hypertension research.
  • To explore the relationship between blood pressure curve components and cardiovascular risk.
  • To investigate how blood pressure curve phenotypes influence genetic marker selection for hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Fourier analysis to decompose the blood pressure curve into steady (mean arterial pressure) and pulsatile (pulse pressure) components.
  • Examination of how mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure change along the arterial tree.
  • Analysis of age-related modifications to blood pressure curve patterns.

Main Results:

  • Mean arterial pressure reflects small artery caliber, while pulse pressure relates to large artery mechanical properties.
  • Pulse pressure increases along the arterial tree due to wave velocity and summation.
  • Diverse blood pressure curve phenotypes emerge with age, even at similar mean arterial pressures.

Conclusions:

  • Detailed recording of the entire aortic blood pressure curve is essential for genetic studies in hypertension.
  • Blood pressure curve phenotypes may guide the selection of genetic markers for studying hypertensive vascular disease.
  • A comprehensive hemodynamic approach is vital for advancing hypertension research and understanding cardiovascular risk.

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