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Published on: May 3, 2018
Influence of beat-to-beat blood pressure variability on vascular elasticity in hypertensive population
Yufa Xia1, Xin Liu1, Dan Wu1,2
1Shenzhen institutes of advanced technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
Insights
Elevated beat-to-beat blood pressure variability (BPV) is linked to reduced vascular elasticity in hypertensive individuals. This association is independent of average blood pressure, highlighting BPV as a key factor in hypertension-related vascular changes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Vascular Biology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Elevated beat-to-beat blood pressure variability (BPV) is increasingly recognized in cardiovascular disease.
- The relationship between BPV and vascular elasticity, specifically total arterial compliance (TAC), remains poorly understood.
- Hypertension is a major risk factor for vascular dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent effect of beat-to-beat blood pressure variability (BPV) on vascular elasticity (total arterial compliance, TAC).
- To determine if BPV influences TAC irrespective of average blood pressure levels.
- To compare these effects in hypertensive patients versus healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- Beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) and total arterial compliance (TAC) were measured in 81 hypertensive patients and 80 healthy adults.
- Beat-to-beat BPV was quantified using standard deviation (SD), average real variability (ARV), residual standard deviation (RSD), and variation independent of mean (VIM).
- Statistical analyses, including correlation and regression, were performed to assess the relationship between BPV parameters and TAC, controlling for confounding factors.
Main Results:
- In hypertensive patients, increased systolic BPV (SBPV) and diastolic BPV (DBPV) significantly correlated with reduced TAC across multiple variability measures (SD, ARV, RSD, VIM).
- No significant correlations between BPV and TAC were observed in the control (normal adult) population.
- Variation independent of mean (VIM) of systolic BP emerged as an independent determinant of TAC in hypertensive individuals, even after adjusting for average BP, age, and BMI.
Conclusions:
- Beat-to-beat blood pressure variability, particularly systolic BPV, demonstrates an independent association with diminished vascular elasticity in hypertensive populations.
- These findings suggest that BPV is a crucial factor contributing to vascular stiffness in hypertension.
- Further research into BPV-targeted interventions may be warranted for managing vascular health in hypertensive patients.
Abstract:
Whether elevated beat-to-beat blood pressure variability (BPV) has an influence on vascular elasticity is confounded and poorly understood. This study hypothesized that the increased BPV could have an adverse effect on the vascular elasticity, as estimated by total arterial compliance (TAC), independent of blood pressure (BP) values. Beat-to-beat BP and TAC were measured in 81 hypertensive patients (experimental population) and in 80 normal adults (control population). Beat-to-beat BPV was assessed by standard deviation (SD), average real variability (ARV), residual standard deviation (RSD) and variation independent of mean (VIM). In experimental population, systolic BPV (SBPV) showed a significant correlation with TAC (SD, r = -0.326, p < 0.001; ARV, r = -0.277, p = 0.003; RSD, r = -0.382, p < 0.001; VIM, r = -0.274, p = 0.003); similarly, SD, RSD and VIM of diastolic BP (DBP) also showed explicit correlation with TAC (r = -0.255, p = 0.006; r = -0.289, p = 0.002; r = -0.219, p = 0.019; respectively). However, in the control population, neither SBPV nor diastolic BPV (DBPV) showed a significant correlation with TAC. Furthermore, in the experimental population, VIM of systolic BP (SBP) was also a determinant of TAC (β = -0.100, p = 0.040) independent of average SBP, DBP, age and body mass index. In conclusion, these data imply that beat-to-beat BPV, especially SBPV, shows an independent correlation with vascular elasticity in hypertensive population.
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