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Arterial Stiffness and Peripheral and Central Blood Pressure in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease
Maria Pikilidou1, Maria Yavropoulou2, Maria Antoniou1
1Hypertension Excellence Center, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Insights
Patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) exhibit lower blood pressure (BP) and increased arterial stiffness, suggesting factors beyond arterial elasticity contribute to this cardiovascular phenotype.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hematology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with lower blood pressure (BP) than in the general population.
- Arterial stiffness is a key risk factor for BP progression, but its role in SCD is not well-defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate arterial stiffness and BP in adult patients with SCD compared to healthy controls.
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the low BP phenotype in SCD.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study comparing 45 adult SCD patients with 40 matched healthy controls.
- Measurements included brachial systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), augmentation index (AIx), and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity.
Main Results:
- SCD patients had significantly lower SBP and DBP compared to controls.
- Augmentation index (AIx) was significantly higher in SCD patients, indicating increased central arterial stiffness.
- Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, a measure of elastic artery stiffness, was comparable between groups.
Conclusions:
- The low BP phenotype in SCD is not solely explained by reduced arterial elasticity.
- Increased central arterial stiffness (AIx) alongside lower BP suggests complex vascular adaptations in SCD.
- Further research is needed to understand the interplay of factors contributing to cardiovascular health in SCD.
Abstract:
Blood pressure (BP) in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) has been reported to be lower than in persons in the general population. Data on arterial stiffness, which is an important risk factor for the progression of BP, are inconclusive for this patient population. Forty-five adult patients with SCD and 40 controls matched for sex, age, and body mass index were studied. Brachial systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were significantly lower in the patient group (SBP 115.1±13.8 mm Hg vs 121.9±11.3 mm Hg and DBP 68.5±8.0 mm Hg vs 80.6±9.1 mm Hg, P<.05, respectively). Augmentation index (AIx), however, was significantly higher in SCD patients compared with healthy controls (24.9±9.6 for patients vs 12.4±10.8 for controls, P<.001), while carotid femoral pulse wave velocity was comparable between the two groups. The study shows that mechanisms other than arterial elasticity are involved in the low BP phenotype of patients with SCD.
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