Association between B-type natriuretic peptide and within-visit blood pressure variability

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hypertension Research
• Biomarker Analysis

Background:

• Blood pressure variability (BPV) is a predictor of cardiovascular events.
• Within-visit BPV, a simple measure, has conflicting associations with target organ damage in prior studies.
• This study investigates the relationship between within-visit BPV and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in a general population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the correlation between within-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels.
• To determine if within-visit BPV is associated with BNP in a general population sample.
• To explore potential links between BP fluctuations during a visit and cardiac strain markers.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study of 633 individuals aged 45-99 years from primary care.
• Three blood pressure (BP) readings taken one minute apart to calculate within-visit BPV as coefficient of variation (CV).
• Multivariable generalized linear models used to assess associations between BNP and within-visit BPV, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

• A weak but positive correlation was observed between BNP and both systolic (r=0.107, P=0.007) and diastolic (r=0.092, P=0.019) BP-CV.
• Median BNP was 16 pg/mL, with median systolic and diastolic BP-CV at 3.9% and 3.5%, respectively.
• Multivariable analysis indicated that systolic BP, diastolic BP-CV, BMI, and eGFR were associated with BNP levels.

Conclusions:

• A positive, though weak, correlation exists between within-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) and BNP.
• Diastolic BPV demonstrated an association with BNP, even after adjusting for multiple confounding variables.
• Within-visit BPV may serve as a subtle indicator related to cardiac strain markers like BNP.