Quartiles Of Systolic Blood Pressure Research Articles

ACHIEVED SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE BELOW 130 MMHG PRESERVES KIDNEY FUNCTION IN DIABETIC AND NON-DIABETIC HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITHOUT CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY

Objective: Kidney function is preserved by achieving systolic blood pressure (SBP) primarily <140mmHg and possibly <130mmHg in hypertensive patients. We aimed to investigate kidney function when achieving SBP 130-139 and <130mmHg in type-2 diabetic and non-diabetic hypertensive patients without cardiac hypertrophy who participated in a major prospective hypertension outcome trial. Design and method: Of the 15,245 study participants, 13,803 patients were without cardiovascular events during the first six months after randomization with roll-over from previous medications to blinded study drugs and had a minimum of 3 subsequent BP visits during 4-6 years. Of these, 2,458 patients with cardiac left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by ECG were not included in the present analysis because, as previously reported, they had increased cardiac and all-cause mortality at average achieved SBP <130mmHg. Of the remaining 11,345 patients, 3932 had diabetes. Cox analyzes adjusted for baseline covariates compared the pre-specified kidney endpoints 50% rise of se-creatinine (worsening kidney function, WKF) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD, dialysis and/or transplantation) for patients who achieved average SBP 130-139 and <130mmHg with those who remained with SBP >=140mmHg. Results: Patients with diabetes had less WKF at SBP 130-139mmHg (HR=0.50, 95% CIs 0.34-0.72, n=1605, p<0.001) and at SBP <130mmHg (HR=0.43, CIs 0.23-0.80, n=599, p=0.008). They also had less ESRD at SBP 130-139mmHg (HR=0.32, CIs 0.12-0.88, p=0.03) with similar trend at SBP <130mmHg (HR=0.21, CIs 0.03-1.65) which was significant for the 3rd quartile of SBP (135mmHg) (HR=0.09, CIs 0.01-0.71, p=0.02) and for the 4th quartile of SBP (126mmHg) (HR=0.12, CIs 0.02-0.92, p=0.04). Patients without diabetes (n=7413) also had less WKF at SBP 130-139mmHg (HR=0.58, CIs 0.40-0.83, n=3258, p=0.003) and at SBP <130mmHg (HR=0.38, CIs 0.21-0.68, n=1542, p<0.001). For ESRD the trend was similar as for diabetes at 3rd quartile of SBP (135mmHg) (HR=0.37, CIs 0.14-1.00, p=0.05) and at 4th quartile of SBP (126mmHg) (HR=0.23, CIs 0.07-0.75, p=0.02). Conclusions: In high-risk hypertensive patients above 50 years, with and without type-2 diabetes, but without cardiac hypertrophy, we found stepwise less worsening of kidney function and end-stage renal disease with lower average achieved systolic BP from >=140mmHg to 130-139mmHg to <130mmHg.

Abstract 16730: Neighborhood Deprivation and Left Ventricular Mass in Women, NGHS Longitudinal Cohort Analysis

Left ventricular hypertrophy is an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease. Neighborhood level deprivation is a risk factor for increased morbidity and mortality for a variety of diseases and conditions. However, to date, no study has assessed the relationship between neighborhood level deprivation and left ventricular hypertrophy. Methods: The NHLBI National Growth and Health Study (NGHS) is a 36-year longitudinal study of 871 women (50% white/50% Black). All participants were enrolled between 9-10 years of age in 1987. Annual assessments of anthropometric, echocardiographic and neighborhood level deprivation data, between the ages of 20-28 years (visits 11-17), were analyzed. We assessed the relationship between quartiles of deprivation index (DI) (high/worst, moderately high, moderately low, low/best) at ~age 20 years with levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), body mass index (BMI) and indexed left ventricular mass (LVMI, g/m 2.7 ), between ages 20-28, adjusting for race. Results: Data from 531 (55% Black) women were examined. Compared to the lowest DI quartile, the highest DI quartile exposure at ~20 years was associated with a 3.37 [1.34, 8.44] greater odds of BMI > 30 (obesity) at age 28, p=0.01 . An interaction between visit and DI quartile was significant, such that women in the highest DI quartile at age 20 had greater increases in BMI by age 28 than those in lower DI quartiles ( p=0.001 , Figure 1). There was no significant relationship between SBP and DI quartile in this cohort (data not shown). Compared with women who resided in the lower 2 DI quartiles at age 20, the LVMI of women exposed to higher (worse) DI was significantly greater after age 23 (visit 14 , p<0.05 , Figure 2). Conclusion(s): In summary, increased deprivation is associated with increased BMI in young adult women, adjusting for race. In addition, increased deprivation is also associated with greater indexed left ventricular mass, an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease.

Blood pressure levels within normotensive range are independently associated with increased risk of arterial stiffness in adults without hypertension or prehypertension

Background and aimsHigh blood pressure (BP) indices, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP) predict cardiovascular diseases and mortality. However, the association of these BP indices with arterial stiffness (AS) in the normotensive population (BP < 120/80 mmHg) remains unclear. Methods and resultsStudy participants who underwent health checkups at a tertiary referred center were recruited between November 2018 to December 2019. 2129 participants were enrolled after excluding those aged <18 years old, with elevated BP, history of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke, or with incomplete data. The brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) values were examined for evaluation of AS. Participants with higher blood pressure indices had significantly higher baPWV. Multiple linear regression revealed that all BP indices were positively associated with baPWV. According to the binary logistic regression analysis, participants in the higher SBP and MAP quartiles were significantly related to AS. The odds ratio (OR) for SBP Q2, Q3 and Q4 vs. Q1 were 6.06, 10.06 and 17.78 whereas the OR for MAP Q2, Q3 and Q4 vs. Q1 were: 5.07, 5.28 and 10.34. For DBP and PP, only participants belonging to the highest quartile were associated with AS(OR for DBP Q4 vs. Q1: 2.51; PP Q4 vs Q1: 1.94). ConclusionsBP indices were linearly related to the baPWV. Normotensive participants with higher quartiles of SBP, DBP, MAP, and PP, remained associated with increased AS. The SBP and MAP levels exhibited a more prominent relationship with AS.

Blood Pressure Variability and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes

BackgroundThere is a paucity of epidemiological data on the association between long-term variability of blood pressure (BP) and incident atrial fibrillation (AF). ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of BP variability with incident AF in a large sample of adults with type 2 diabetes. MethodsWe included participants who had ≥5 BP measurements in the first 24 months of action to control cardiovascular risk in diabetes. The visit-to-visit variability of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was estimated using the coefficient of variation, SD, and variability independent of the mean. Incident AF was recorded using follow-up electrocardiograms. Modified Poisson regression was used to generate risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CI for AF. ResultsA total of 8,399 participants were included (average age 62.6 ± 6.5 years, 38.8% women, 63.2% White). Over a median follow-up of 5 years, 155 developed AF. Compared to the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of BP variability was associated with an increased risk of AF (RR: 1.85 [95% CI: 1.13-3.03] and 1.63 [95% CI: 1.01-2.65] for coefficient of variation of SBP and DBP, respectively). Participants in the highest quartile of both SBP and DBP had a 2-fold higher risk of AF compared to those in the lowest 3 quartiles of both SBP and DBP (RR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.29-2.93). ConclusionsIn a large cohort of adults with type 2 diabetes, higher variability in SBP and DBP was independently associated with an increased risk of AF.

PS-P04-4: BLOOD PRESSURE VARIABILITY IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Objective: To investigate the blood pressure variability (BPV) and its relevant factors in preschool children. Design and method: A total of 497 preschool children from two public kindergartens in Shanghai were enrolled. Blood pressure (BP) was standardized measured three times consecutively in a sitting position. Demographic information was collected. The measures used for BPV were the difference between the third and the first systolic blood pressure (SBP) (Delta-SBP), the difference between the third and the first diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (Delta-DBP), standard deviation of SBP (SBPSD) and DBP (DBPSD), and coefficient of variation of SBP (SBPCV) and DBP (DBPCV). Statistical analysis was performed by SAS9.4. Results: The subjects were on average 4.5 ± 0.8 years and 49.7% male. Mean blood pressure was 96/56mmHg. BPV was not significantly different between sex, however, it was significantly different among different SBP grade groups. According to the quartile of the first SBP, the subjects were divided into four groups. SBPSD and SBPCV were greater with the increase in SBP level. DBPSD and DBPCV were not significantly different among groups. Multiple linear regression showed that Delta-SBP was negatively correlated with the first SBP (Fig. 1), that was, the higher the first SBP, the magnitude of decrease from the third SBP to the first SBP was greater. After adjustment for sex, age, height, and weight, the first SBP was positively correlated with SBPCV. Conclusions: This study revealed that the higher the first SBP in preschool children, the greater the blood pressure variability may be.

Maximum ambulatory daytime blood pressure and risk of stroke in individuals with higher ambulatory arterial stiffness index: the JAMP study.

The aim of this study was to determine whether a high daytime maximum blood pressure (BP) assessed by ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) constitutes a risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events, especially in those with increased arterial stiffness, because BP variability is linked to arterial stiffness. A total of 6294 participants (mean age, 68.6 ± 11.7 years; 78% treated hypertensive patients), who had at least 1 cardiovascular risk factor, were followed for 4.5 years. Daytime maximum BP was calculated as the highest 1-hour moving average of 2 consecutive systolic BP (SBP) readings during the daytime. The ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) was calculated as 1 minus the slope of the linear regression line between SBP and diastolic BP during 24-hour BP. During the follow-up, there were 217 ASCVD events (119 stroke and 98 coronary artery disease [CAD]). In the higher-AASI group (≥0.5783), subjects in the top quartile of daytime maximum SBP (≥179.4 mmHg) had a greater risk of stroke events compared to those in other quartiles (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13-3.15). In the higher-AASI group, participants with 24-hour SBP of 130 mmHg or more and in the top quartile of daytime maximum SBP had an adjusted HR (95%CI) of 2.55 (1.32-4.95) compared to those without. The analysis did not suggest that daytime maximum SBP posed a risk for CAD events and in the lower-AASI group. Daytime maximum SBP did pose a risk of stroke events, especially for those with higher arterial stiffness represented as AASI.

On-treatment blood pressure and cardiovascular mortality in adults with repaired coarctation of aorta

Although, hypertension is common in adults with repaired coarctation of aorta (COA), there are no data about on-treatment blood pressure (BP), and its relationship to outcomes in this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between on-treatment BP and cardiovascular mortality in adults with repaired COA. Retrospective study of adults with repaired COA on antihypertensive therapy (n=461, age 39 ± 11). All BP measurements obtained within the first 3 years were averaged to determine the on-treatment BP, and the patients were stratified into BP quartiles using the cut-off points from the guidelines. Being in the upper systolic BP (SBP) quartiles (SBP 120-129, 130-139 and ≥140) was associated with higher risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.07, HR 1.12, 95%CI 1.04 to 1.15 and HR 1.39, 95%CI 1.13 to 1.59), as compared to being the lowest SBP quartile. We observed a 7% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality for every 5 mmHg increase in SBP, and a 4% increase in risk of cardiovascular mortality for every 5 mmHg increase in DBP. Collectively, these data suggest that even s less severe form of hypertension SBP (120-129 mmHg) was not benign, and perhaps should be considered for antihypertensive therapy. A randomized controlled clinical trial is required to determine whether this group of patients (SBP 120 to 129 mmHg) would benefit from antihypertensive therapy, and to determine the optimal type and intensity of antihypertensive therapy in this population.

Systolic blood pressure at admission and long-term clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure.

AimsThe study sought to investigate the association between admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 1‐year clinical outcomes in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) and in subgroups.MethodsThis study was based on the China Patient‐centred Evaluative Assessment of Cardiac Events Prospective Heart Failure Study, which prospectively enrolled patients hospitalized for HF in 52 hospitals from 20 provinces in China between August 2016 and May 2018. Patients were divided into four groups according to the quartiles of SBP at admission. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were fitted to examine the association between admission SBP and all‐cause death and HF readmission within 1 year after the index hospitalization. Restricted cubic splines were used to explore the non‐linear association between SBP and the clinical outcomes.ResultsAmong 4896 patients, those with lower admission SBP were younger, more likely to be male, have left ventricular ejection fraction <40%, and receive β‐blockers, aldosterone antagonists, and diuretics. After adjustment for potential confounders, lower admission SBP was significantly associated with higher all‐cause death and there is no threshold, while we only observed such an association with HF readmission when admission SBP was lower than 120 mmHg. Compared with the 4th SBP quartile, patients in the 1st SBP quartile had higher risk of all‐cause death (hazard ratio, 1.85; 95% confidence interval 1.48–2.33; P < 0.001) and HF readmission (hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval 1.19–1.65, P < 0.001). These associations were consistent in most subgroups, such as age, sex, and left ventricular ejection fraction.ConclusionsIn patients hospitalized for HF, lower admission SBP portends an increased risk of 1 year all‐cause death and HF readmission, and these associations were consistent among subgroups.

FC 090EFFECTS OF FINERENONE ON CARDIORENAL OUTCOMES IN BLOOD PRESSURE SUBGROUPS IN PATIENTS WITH CKD AND T2D

Abstract Background and Aims Finerenone is a novel, selective, nonsteroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) that significantly reduced the risk of adverse kidney and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the FIDELIO-DKD trial. In phase II studies, finerenone had modest effects on office blood pressure (BP) compared with the steroidal MRA spironolactone. We report an analysis of the relationship between baseline and changes in office systolic BP (SBP) and outcomes with finerenone in the FIDELIO-DKD trial. Method In FIDELIO-DKD, 5734 patients were randomised 1:1 to oral finerenone or placebo. Patients with T2D, urine albumin-to-creatine ratio (UACR) ≥30–&amp;lt;300 mg/g, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥25–&amp;lt;60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and a history of diabetic retinopathy, or UACR ≥300–≤5000 mg/g and eGFR ≥25–&amp;lt;75 ml/min/1.73 m2, and treated with optimised renin–angiotensin system blockade were eligible. The primary endpoint was time to kidney failure, sustained eGFR decline ≥40% from baseline, or renal death. The key secondary endpoint was time to CV death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or hospitalisation for heart failure. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the relationship between treatments and efficacy outcomes adjusted for baseline SBP and change in SBP from baseline to month 4. Results A total of 5669 patients with available baseline SBP data were analysed. At baseline, the mean SBP and diastolic BP were 138.0 and 75.8 mmHg, respectively. Patients treated for hypertension at baseline received an average of 3.3 antihypertensive therapies. The study population was stratified by quartiles (Q) of SBP at baseline: ≤128.7 mmHg (Q1); &amp;gt;128.7–≤138.3 mmHg (Q2); &amp;gt;138.3–≤148.0 mmHg (Q3); and &amp;gt;148.0 mmHg (Q4). Patients in higher SBP categories tended to be older, with higher median UACR, but similar mean eGFR at baseline. Effects of finerenone, estimated as hazard ratios (HRs), were consistent across the quartiles for the primary endpoint (HR [95% CI]: Q1, 0.87 [0.66–1.15]; Q2, 0.76 [0.59–0.98]; Q3, 0.81 [0.65–1.02]; Q4, 0.86 [0.70–1.07]; p-value for interaction=0.87) and the key secondary endpoint (HR [95% CI]: Q1, 0.95 [0.69–1.29]; Q2, 0.81 [0.60–1.10]; Q3, 0.79 [0.60–1.03]; Q4, 0.91 [0.70–1.18]; p-value for interaction=0.78) (Figure). Finerenone treatment resulted in a modest reduction in SBP; over the duration of the trial, overall mean difference in SBP between treatment groups was –2.7 mmHg. Maximum differences in SBP between finerenone and placebo were observed at month 4; the mean change in SBP from baseline to month 4 across SBP quartiles were: Q1: 4.99 and 9.01 mmHg; Q2: –0.85 and 2.43 mmHg; Q3: –5.63 and –2.40 mmHg; Q4: –11.76 and –6.44 mmHg, for finerenone and placebo, respectively. Adjusting for baseline SBP and SBP change to month 4 resulted in small changes in treatment effect for the primary endpoint and the key secondary endpoint, with only slightly increased HRs for treatment compared with the unadjusted primary analysis (primary endpoint: HR: 0.85 vs 0.82; key secondary endpoint: HR: 0.90 vs 0.86) and no strong indication of an interaction between treatment and SBP. Conclusion In FIDELIO-DKD, a small proportion of the effect of finerenone on cardiorenal outcomes can be attributed to BP. However, most of the effect appears to be via BP-independent mechanisms. (Funded by Bayer AG; FIDELIO-DKD ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02540993)

The Relation of Clinic and Ambulatory BP with the Risk of Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality among Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis.

Large observational studies showed a U-shaped association of clinic blood pressure (BP) with mortality among patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Whether ambulatory BP provides a more direct risk signal in this population remains unknown. In a prospective cohort of 108 PD patients, standardized clinic BP was recorded at baseline with the validated device HEM-705 (Omron, Healthcare, Bannockburn, IL, USA) and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring was performed using the Mobil-O-Graph monitor (IEM, Stolberg, Germany). Over a median follow-up of 16 months (interquartile range: 19 months), 47.2% of the overall population reached the composite outcome of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or all-cause death. In Cox-regression analysis, systolic but not diastolic BP was prognostically informative. Compared with the reference quartile 1 of 24-h systolic BP (SBP), the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for the composite outcome was 1.098 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.434–2.777) in quartile 2, 1.004 (95% CI: 0.382–2.235) in quartile 3 and 2.449 (95% CI: 1.156–5.190) in quartile 4. In contrast, no such association was observed between increasing quartiles of clinic SBP and composite outcome. The present study shows that among PD patients, increasing ambulatory SBP is independently associated with higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events and mortality, providing superior prognostic information than standardized clinic SBP.

Antenatal Markers Related to Fetal Growth Restriction Can Predict Childhood Systolic Blood Pressure

Background: Being born small for gestational age (SGA) is linked with higher systolic blood pressure (SBP). Fetuses with growth restriction (FGR) may be either SGA or appropriate size for gestational age at birth. However, it is not known which factors contributing to size at birth influence the relationship with SBP. Aim. To determine whether antenatal markers of FGR can predict the upper quartile of childhood SBP. Methods: Brachial SBP was measured for 75 children aged 3-6 years from the Manchester BabyGRO Study, using a Tensiomed®Arteriograph with a child-sized cuff. SBP quartiles were generated. Participants were born to mothers who had attended a specialised clinic, following identification of higher FGR risk based on abnormal maternal serology (pregnancy associated plasma protein-A, β-human chorionic gonadotrophin, α-fetoprotein, Inhibin-A). Antenatal ultrasound data at 23 weeks gestation were obtained. Uterine artery Doppler (UtAD) notching was assigned a rank (0=absent, 1=unilateral, 2=bilateral). Random forest (RF) is a machine learning approach that generates many independent, uncorrelated decision trees based on multiple variables. This was used to determine the relative importance of antenatal variables in prediction of upper quartile of childhood SBP. Variables included in the model were maternal body mass index (BMI), parity, ethnicity (black/white/asian/mixed), maternal SBP and diastolic BP (DBP), maternal serology relating to FGR risk, UtAD pulsatility index, resistance index and notching rank (all measures of uteroplacental blood flow resistance), placental size measurements, 23 week estimated fetal weight (EFW) centile, ∆23w EFW-birthweight centile and birthweight SDS. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated, providing an area under the curve (AUC). A variable of importance (VIP) score was calculated for each marker that was significant in the model. All analyses were conducted in R (version 3.6). Results: RF analysis demonstrated antenatal markers relating to FGR risk predict the upper quartile of childhood SBP with an AUC 0.97. The top five ranked variables were maternal DBP (VIP score 14.0), birthweight SDS (11.5), parity (9.9), notching rank (9.5) and ∆23w EFW-birthweight centile (9.1). Conclusion: Maternal and antenatal markers, as well as birthweight SDS are linked with the upper quartile of SBP at 3-6 years. Antenatal markers were within the top five ranked and could help identify those babies at risk of higher SBP in childhood.

Association Between Ambulatory Blood Pressure and Coronary Artery Calcification: The JHS.

[Figure: see text].

Association between cumulative blood pressure and long-term risk of cardiovascular disease: findings from the 26-year Chinese Multi-provincial Cohort Study-Beijing Project.

Background:Cumulative blood pressure (BP), a measure incorporating the level and duration of BP exposure, is associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the level at which cumulative BP could significantly increase the risk remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of 15-year cumulative BP levels with the long-term risk of CVD, and to examine whether the association is independent of BP levels at one examination.Methods:Data from a 26-year follow-up of the Chinese Multi-provincial Cohort Study-Beijing Project were analyzed. Cumulative BP levels between 1992 and 2007 were calculated among 2429 participants free of CVD in 2007. Cardiovascular events (including coronary heart disease and stroke) occurring from 2007 to 2018 were registered. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD incidence associated with quartiles of cumulative systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were calculated.Results:Of the 2429 participants, 42.9% (1042) were men, and the mean age in 2007 was 62.1 ± 7.9 years. Totally, 207 CVD events occurred during the follow-up from 2007 to 2018. Participants with higher levels of cumulative SBP or DBP exhibited a higher incidence rate of CVD (P < 0.001). Compared with the lowest quartile of cumulative SBP, the HR for CVD was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–1.81), 1.69 (95% CI: 0.99–2.87), and 2.20 (95% CI: 1.21–3.98) for the second to the fourth quartile of cumulative SBP, and 1.46 (95% CI: 0.86–2.48), 1.99 (95% CI: 1.18–3.35), and 2.08 (95% CI: 1.17–3.71) for the second to the fourth quartile of cumulative DBP, respectively. In further cross-combined group analyses with BP measurements in 2007, 15-year cumulative BP levels higher than the median, that is, 1970.8/1239.9 mmHg·year for cumulative SBP/DBP, which were equivalent to maintaining SBP/DBP levels of 131/83 mmHg or above on average in 15 years, were associated with higher risk of CVD in subsequent years independent of BP measurements at one-time point.Conclusion:Cumulative exposure to moderate elevation of BP is independently associated with increased future cardiovascular risk.

Blood Pressure Level and Variability During Long-Term Prasugrel or Clopidogrel Medication After Stroke: PRASTRO-I.

High blood pressure increases bleeding risk during treatment with antithrombotic medication. The association between blood pressure levels and the risk of recurrent stroke during long-term secondary stroke prevention with thienopyridines (particularly prasugrel) has not been well studied. This was a post hoc analysis of the randomized, double-blind, multicenter PRASTRO-I trial (Comparison of Prasugrel and Clopidogrel in Japanese Patients With Ischemic Stroke-I). Patients with noncardioembolic stroke were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive prasugrel 3.75 mg/day or clopidogrel 75 mg/day for 96 to 104 weeks. Risks of any ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, combined ischemic events, and combined bleeding events were determined based on the mean level and visit-to-visit variability, including successive variation, of systolic blood pressure (SBP) throughout the observational period. These risks were also compared between quartiles of mean SBP level and successive variation of SBP. A total of 3747 patients (age 62.1±8.5 years, 797 women), with a median average SBP level during the observational period of 132.5 mm Hg, were studied. All the risks of any stroke (146 events; hazard ratio, 1.318 [95% CI, 1.094-1.583] per 10-mm Hg increase), ischemic stroke (133 events, 1.219 [1.010-1.466]), hemorrhagic stroke (13 events, 3.247 [1.660-6.296]), ischemic events (142 events, 1.219 [1.020-1.466]), and bleeding events (47 events, 1.629 [1.172-2.261]) correlated with increasing mean SBP overall. Similarly, an increased risk of these events correlated with increasing successive variation of SBP (hazard ratio, 3.078 [95% CI, 2.220-4.225] per 10-mm Hg increase; 3.051 [2.179-4.262]; 3.276 [1.172-9.092]; 2.865 [2.042-4.011]; 2.764 [1.524-5.016], respectively). Event rates did not differ between the clopidogrel and prasugrel groups within each quartile of SBP or successive variation of SBP. Both high mean SBP level and high visit-to-visit variability in SBP were significantly associated with the risk of recurrent stroke during long-term medication with either prasugrel or clopidogrel after stroke. Control of hypertension would be important regardless of the type of antiplatelet drugs. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.jp; Unique identifier: JapicCTI-111582.

A plasma lipid signature predicts incident coronary artery disease

BackgroundDyslipidemia is a hallmark of cardiovascular disease but is characterized by crude measurements of triglycerides, HDL- and LDL cholesterol. Lipidomics enables more detailed measurements of plasma lipids, which may help improve risk stratification and understand the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease. MethodsLipidomics was used to measure 184 lipids in plasma samples from the Malmö Diet and Cancer – Cardiovascular Cohort (N = 3865), taken at baseline examination. During an average follow-up time of 20.3 years, 536 participants developed coronary artery disease (CAD). Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were applied to Cox proportional hazards models in order to identify plasma lipids that predict CAD. ResultsEight plasma lipids improved prediction of future CAD on top of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Principal component analysis of CAD-associated lipids revealed one principal component (PC2) that was associated with risk of future CAD (HR per SD increment =1.46, C·I = 1.35–1.48, P < 0.001). The risk increase for being in the highest quartile of PC2 (HR = 2.33, P < 0.001) was higher than being in the top quartile of systolic blood pressure. Addition of PC2 to traditional risk factors achieved an improvement (2%) in the area under the ROC-curve for CAD events occurring within 10 (P = 0.03), 15 (P = 0.003) and 20 (P = 0.001) years of follow-up respectively. ConclusionsA lipid pattern improve CAD prediction above traditional risk factors, highlighting that conventional lipid-measures insufficiently describe dyslipidemia that is present years before CAD. Identifying this hidden dyslipidemia may help motivate lifestyle and pharmacological interventions early enough to reach a substantial reduction in absolute risk.

Immediate post-exercise blood pressure and arterial compliance in middle-aged and older normotensive females: A cross-sectional study

This study examined whether immediate post-exercise systolic blood pressure (SBP) is associated with arterial compliance in middle-aged and older normotensive females. A total of 548 normotensive, non-frail females aged 55 years and older with no previous history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) participated in this cross-sectional study. Large and small arterial compliance were assessed by pulse wave analysis. Reduced arterial compliance was defined based on age and sex cutoffs. SBP was measured at rest and immediately following a 3-min moderate step-test. CVD risk factors were also assessed (e.g. resting systolic and diastolic BP, fasting glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, body mass index). A total of 15.1% and 44.0% of the participants showed reduced large and small artery compliance, respectively. Immediate post-exercise SBP was associated with reduced large (OR 1.02 per 1 mmHg increase in post-exercise SBP, 95%CI 1.01–1.04; p = 0.010) and small (OR 1.02 per 1 mmHg increase in post-exercise SBP, 95%CI 1.00–1.03; p = 0.008) arterial compliance. Participants with highest immediate post-exercise SBP (quartile 4; i.e. ≥ 165 mmHg) showed increased odds ratios for reduced large (2.67, 95%CI 1.03–6.94; p = 0.043) and small (2.27, 95%CI 1.22–4.21; p = 0.010) arterial compliance compared to those with the lowest immediate post-exercise SBP (quartile 1; i.e. ≤ 140 mmHg), independent of other established CVD risk factors. Immediate post-exercise SBP following a brief moderate step-test seems to be able to discriminate reduced arterial compliance in middle-aged and older normotensive females.

Blood Pressure Association with Sodium Intake from Snacks Among Undergraduates of Afe Babalola University, Nigeria

Abstract Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the association between blood pressure (BP) values and sodium intake from snacks. Methods The mean weekly consumption of snacks was evaluated in 1500 randomly selected undergraduate aged 16–24 years by a food frequency questionnaire. Participants were divided into quartiles of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. The mean weekly exercise level was calculated as the product of duration and frequency of each activity (in hours/week), weighted by an estimate of the metabolic equivalent of the activity (MET) and summed for the activities performed. The whole cohort was divided into tertiles of exercise and the individuals were classified as; sedentary, moderately active and active. The cut of points in the whole cohort were respectively; ≤10, 11–29, ≥30 MET h/week. Exercise levels were therefore expressed as MET h/week. Results The mean age, metabolic equivalent of activity (METs), body mass index (BMI) and mean sodium intake from snacks per day were; 20.10 ± 1.44 years, 25.51 ± 10.03 METs h/week, 24.86 ± 4.80 kg/m2 and 1.5 g/day respectively. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) ranges between 104.43 ± 4.89 mmHg and 137.27 ± 16.71 mmHg while the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ranges from 71.24 ± 7.83–83.11 ± 12.03 mmHg. The SBP and DBP significantly increased from the lower to the higher tertile of sodium from snacks and with increasing frequency of salty snacks consumption (P &amp;lt; 0.001). In the multiple logistic regression model, being in the highest SBP quartile (≥115 mmHg) was significantly associated with consumption of sodium from snacks (odds ratio (OR) = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.13–1.82; P = 0.001), age, gender and body mass index. Also, being in the highest DBP quartile (≥70 mmHg) was significantly associated with consumption of sodium from snacks (odds ratio (OR) = 2.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41–5.69; P = 0.003), age, body mass index, but not with gender. Conclusions The study has shown that a strong association exists between sodium intake from snack, daily frequency of consumption of salty snacks and blood pressure. Public education and social marketing are needed to motivate the undergraduate to choose healthier snacks with lower sodium content. Funding Sources The study did not receive any funding from any source.

Systolic Blood Pressure in Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction Treated With Sacubitril/Valsartan

BackgroundGuidelines recommend targeting systolic blood pressure (SBP) <130 mm Hg in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with limited data. ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the optimal achieved SBP and whether the treatment effects of sacubitril/valsartan on outcomes are related to BP lowering, particularly among women who derive greater benefit from sacubitril/valsartan. MethodsUsing 4,795 trial participants, this study related baseline and time-updated mean achieved SBP quartiles (<120, 120 to 129, 130 to 139, ≥140 mm Hg) to the primary outcome (cardiovascular death and total heart failure hospitalization), its components, myocardial infarction or stroke, and a renal composite outcome. At the 16-week visit, the study assessed the relationship between SBP change and Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire overall summary score (KCCQ-OSS) and N-terminal pro−B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The study analyzed whether the BP-lowering effects of sacubitril/valsartan accounted for its treatment effects. ResultsAverage age was 73 ± 8 years, and 52% of participants were women. After multivariable adjustment, baseline and mean achieved SBP of 120 to 129 mm Hg demonstrated the lowest risk for all outcomes. Sacubitril/valsartan reduced SBP by 5.2 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: 4.4 to 6.0) compared with valsartan at 4 weeks, which was not modified by baseline SBP. However, sacubitril/valsartan reduced SBP more in women (6.3 mm Hg) than men (4.0 mm Hg) (interaction p = 0.005). Change in SBP was directly associated with change in NT-proBNP (p < 0.001) but not KCCQ-OSS (p = 0.40). The association between sacubitril/valsartan and the primary outcome was not modified by baseline SBP (interaction p = 0.50) and was similar when adjusting for time-updated SBP, regardless of sex. ConclusionsBaseline and mean achieved SBP of 120 to 129 mm Hg identified the lowest risk patients with HFpEF. Baseline SBP did not modify the treatment effect of sacubitril/valsartan, and the BP-lowering effects of sacubitril/valsartan did not account for its effects on outcomes, regardless of sex. (Prospective Comparison of ARNI With ARB Global Outcomes in HF With Preserved Ejection Fraction [PARAGON-HF]; NCT01920711)

Metabolic syndrome, diabetes and osteoarthritis progression: the Rotterdam study

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative musculoskeletal disorder, characterized by cartilage degradation, synovitis and sclerosis of subchondral bone. Results from observational studies have suggested the existence of a distinct form of OA linked to obesity related factors such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dyslipidaemia, also known as metabolic OA. However, conclusive evidence for the existence of such a separate form of OA is still lacking. Recently there has been an increase of interest in the relation between metabolic factors and OA, in particular the metabolic syndrome and its components. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation between several metabolic factors and conditions (diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and its components) and progression of radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) in knee, hip and hand joints. Methods: We used data from the Rotterdam Study, a large population-based longitudinal cohort aimed at identifying risk factors for cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine and musculoskeletal diseases in the elderly. The present study included 6,191 individuals with up to 12 years of follow-up data for OA (knee, hip and hand) and data on metabolic factors. Progression of radiographic OA in knee and hip joints was defined as a combination of incident OA (i.e. Kellgren/Lawrence (KL) grade <2 at baseline and ≥2 at follow-up) and progression (increase in KL grade starting from 2 or above). An increase of ≥2 in KL sum score in distal Interphalangeal (DIP)/proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints was defined as progression in hand OA. We analysed the associations of (components of) the metabolic syndrome with progression of radiographic knee and hip OA stratified for sex using multivariate regression models with generalised estimating equations. In the first model we adjusted for age, smoking, alcohol use, education, subcohort, baseline K/L grade and months between radiographs, while in model 2 we additionally adjusted for BMI. In addition, quartiles of each metabolic factor were analysed for risk of OA progression. Results: Metabolic syndrome and two of its components, abdominal obesity and elevated blood pressure, were associated with higher odds of knee OA progression. However, after additional adjustment for BMI (models 2), the association with metabolic syndrome showed a protective and significant association only in women and the ORs for the elevated blood pressure were attenuated and no longer significant (see Table 1), while the association of abdominal obesity disappeared suggesting that it can be explained by BMI. Diabetes and high fasting glucose, another metabolic component, showed significant protective associations only after adjusting for BMI as shown in Table 1. In additional analyses, the upper 3 quartiles of systolic blood pressure had an increased odds of radiographic knee OA progression before (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.20 - 1.73) and after BMI adjustment (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.06 - 1.53) when women and men were analysed together. Figure 1 shows the sex stratified analysis, where the effect sizes attenuated slightly after adjustment for BMI and results did not reach significance level anymore. No associations with hip and hand OA progression were found for the metabolic syndrome components that were tested. Furthermore, secondary survival analyses suggested that the protective effects seen for the metabolic syndrome and diabetes were due to competing risks. Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome and its component were not associated with higher risk of progression in hip, knee or hand OA independently from BMI, suggesting that the associations are mainly driven by obesity and high BMI. For diabetes, high fasting glucose and metabolic syndrome (only in women) an apparent protection against knee OA progression was observed in both non-stratified and stratified analysis. However, the apparent protective effect of diabetes and metabolic syndrome against knee OA progression is most probably due to competing risks. The only factor that seems associated with an increased risk for knee OA progression is higher systolic blood pressure.View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload Hi-res image Download (PPT)

Abstract 141: Systolic Blood Pressure and White Matter Hyperintensity Progression in ACCORD-MIND

Introduction: Small vessel disease can be detected on MRI as white matter hyperintensity (WMH), but its pathophysiology remains elusive. We sought to examine the effect of elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and SBP variability on WMH progression in the ACCORD-MIND study of patients with type II diabetes, a prototypical small vessel disease. Methods: MRIs were acquired at baseline and 40 months after enrollment. WMH volume (WMHv) was segmented using an automated volumetric algorithm. The primary outcome was ΔWMHv in mm 3 , between the two MRI time points. SBP variability was represented as standard deviation and coefficient of variation. Linear regression models were fitted to ΔWMHv with 10 unit shifts in SBP mean and variability as the primary predictors. Results: After excluding one patient for missing data, 502 patients had, on average, 17 (SD±7) SBP readings. In linear regression, SBP variability was not associated with ΔWMHv, while SBP mean was positively associated with ΔWMHv (Table 1). Furthermore, there was an increase in mean ΔWMHv per quartile of mean SBP (Figure 1). The same analysis was performed for diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure, without significant findings. Conclusions: In this uniform cohort of patients with type II diabetes, higher SBP mean, but not SBP variability, was associated with WMHv progression. For every 10 mm Hg increase in SBP mean during ACCORD-MIND, there was a 1.4 mm 3 increase in ΔWMHv. These data reinforce the role of hypertension in the pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease and provide additional rationale for SBP control to prevent chronic microvascular ischemia in diabetic patients.