Central Blood Pressure Parameters Correlate with Cardiac Structure and Function in Healthy Chinese Individuals without Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the relationship between central blood pressure (BP) parameters and cardiac structure and function parameters in healthy individuals. Methods: Four hundred Chinese participants with no overt cardiovascular disease participated in this study. One hundred and seventy-one participants (42.8%) were male and the mean age was 60 years. Central BP was measured with the SphygmoCor system. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Results: We showed a significant association of left atrial volume and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) with brachial and central systolic BP (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP; r = 0.189–0.0.39, p < 0.001). Left ventricular diastolic function and the E/A ratio were significantly associated with brachial and central BP (r = 0.228–0.469, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that central SBP and PP were independently correlated with LVMI after normalization for age and other confounding variables (sex, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol intake, and the levels of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, log C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen. However, only central SBP was found to be independently correlated with the E/A ratio. Conclusions: Cardiac structure and diastolic function were associated with brachial and central BP. However, after normalization, cardiac structure parameters were independently correlated with central SBP and PP. Diastolic function was the only cardiac function parameter that correlated with central SBP.