Relationship between blood pressure variability and arterial elasticity in elderly patients with stroke

Abstract

Objective To explore the correlation between blood pressure variability (BPV) and arterial elasticity in elderly patients with stroke. Methods One hundred and eighty-three stroke patients (121 with cerebral ischemic stroke and 62 with hemorrhagic stroke), admitted to our hospital from May 2014 to December 2016, and 61 non-stroke individuals were enrolled according to the inclusion and exclusion criterion. Carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (CrPWV) was calculated and carotid artery ultrasound was used to measure intima-media thickness (IMT); 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed to calculate the BPV parameters. The arterial stiffness index β was calculated. Results As compared with those in the non-stroke subjects, morning blood pressure surge (MBPS), standard deviation of systolic blood pressure (SBP), variable coefficient of SBP, systolic blood pressure fall (SBPF), CrPWV, IMT and stiffness index β in stroke patients were significant increased (P<0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that MBPS, standard deviation of SBP, weighted standard deviation of SBP, variance of SBP, variable coefficient of SBP, SBPF, and diastolic blood pressure fall were signficantly correlated with CrPWV and stiffness index β (P<0.05); IMT was closely related to MBPS, standard deviation of SBP, variable coefficient of SBP, and SBPF (P<0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that MBPS, standard deviation of SBP and SBPF were the independent influencing factors of IMT, CrPWV and stiffness index β. Conclusion BPV showed significant relationship with vascular elasticity in stroke patients, and reduction of BPV helps to delay the process of atherosclerosis. Key words: Stroke; Blood pressure variability; Carotid-radial pulse wave velocity; Carotid intima media thickness; Stiffness index β