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Prevalence and associated factors of inter-arm blood pressure difference in Chinese community hypertensive population
Yuling Yu1, Lin Liu1,2, Kenneth Lo1,3
1Department of Cardiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Coronary Heart Disease Prevention, Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, 510080 Guangzhou, China.
Insights
High inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) is common in Chinese hypertensive patients. Factors like higher systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels are linked to increased IAD.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Hypertension Research
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) is a potential indicator of cardiovascular risk.
- Understanding the prevalence and associated factors of IAD in hypertensive populations is crucial for risk stratification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) in a Chinese community-based hypertensive population.
- To identify factors associated with elevated IAD in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 7788 hypertensive patients in Guangdong, China.
- Simultaneous bilateral blood pressure (BP) measurements using automated devices to calculate IAD.
- Statistical analysis including univariate and multivariate linear regression to identify associated factors.
Main Results:
- The mean systolic IAD (sIAD) was 4.04 ± 4.33 mm Hg, with 28.9% of patients exhibiting sIAD ≥ 5 mm Hg.
- Higher sIAD was significantly associated with increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), triacylglycerol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).
- Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and higher total cholesterol were also associated with higher sIAD.
Conclusions:
- A significant prevalence of large inter-arm blood pressure difference was observed in the Chinese hypertensive population.
- Elevated SBP, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and reduced eGFR are associated with higher sIAD, highlighting potential targets for intervention.
Objectives:
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) in Chinese community hypertensive population.
Methods:
The cross-sectional study included 7788 hypertensive patients (3673 male and 4115 female, aged 62.3 ± 13.6 years) in Guangdong, China. IAD was defined as the absolute value of blood pressure (BP) difference between left and right arms. Bilateral BP was measured simultaneously by automated devices.
Results:
The mean IAD was 4.04 ± 4.33 mm Hg in systolic and 3.19 ± 3.43 mm Hg in diastolic. The prevalence rates of systolic IAD (sIAD)≥5 mm Hg and ≥10 mmHg were 28.9% (n = 2247) and 12.8% (n = 996), respectively. By univariate linear regression, higher sIAD correlated with aging, higher SBP, higher DBP, lower baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and anti-hypertensive medication (p < 0.05). In multivariate linear regression analysis, higher sIAD was significantly associated with systolic BP (SBP, β = 0.033; 95%CI, 0.025-0.041; p < 0.001), triacylglycerol (β = 0.093; 95%CI, 0.017-0.169; p = 0.016), total cholesterol (β = -0.202; 95%CI, -0.396to -0.009; p = 0.04), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; β = 0.304; 95%CI, 0.027-0.582; p = 0.032).
Conclusion:
The elevated prevalence of large IAD was shown in hypertensive population. Meanwhile, higher levels of SBP, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, LDL-C, and lower eGFR were associated with higher sIAD.
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