Blood Pressure Trajectories Research Articles

Abstract 120: Systolic Blood Pressure Trajectories 72 Hours After Mechanical Thrombectomy Are Associated With Poor Functional Outcome: A Multicenter Analysis of Individual Patient Blood Pressure Data

Introduction: Blood pressure (BP) is an important modifiable parameter after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). Observational studies have found associations between elevated BP after EVT with hemorrhagic transformation and poor functional outcome. However, blood pressure course after EVT has not been well characterized and optimal hemodynamic management in the immediate post-stroke period remains unresolved. We utilized blood pressure data up to 72 hours after EVT to identify distinct systolic BP (SBP) trajectories and studied their associations with functional outcome. Methods: We retrospectively studied a multicenter cohort of 1060 patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke who underwent EVT. BP was recorded non-invasively recorded at least hourly for the first 72 hours. Functional outcome was assessed using the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Favorable functional outcome was defined as mRS &lt. Latent variable mixture modeling was applied to identify patient subgroups that have comparable SBP trajectories. All analyses were adjusted for age, admission NIHSS, and recanalization status. Results: One thousand sixty patients (mean age 70±15, mean NIHSS 16) were included in the analysis. Five distinct SBP trajectories were identified: (1) low (17%), (2) moderate (38%), (3) moderate-to-high (21%), (4) high-to-moderate (17%), and (5) high (7%) (Figure 1A). SBP trajectory group was an independent predictor of functional outcome at discharge (p=0.001) and 90 days (p=0.010, Figure 1B). Patients with high and high-to-moderate SBP trajectories had a significantly higher odds of an unfavorable outcome at 90 days (adjusted OR 2.3, 95%CI 1.2 - 4.3, p=0.01 and adjusted OR 4, 95% CI 1.5-10.7, p=0.06, respectively) Conclusions: During the first 72 hours after EVT, acute ischemic stroke patients show distinct SBP trajectories, which differ in relation to functional outcome. The findings may help recognize potential candidates for future blood pressure control trials.

Abstract WP374: High Frequency Blood Pressure Monitoring in the Acute Phase of Large Vessel Occlusion Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Decreases in blood pressure (BP) during endovascular therapy (EVT) have been associated with infarct progression and worse outcome after large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, BP trajectories in the acute phase prior to EVT have not been well characterized. We thus used high-frequency BP and hemodynamic monitoring to create a continuous BP time trend and to determine timing of BP reductions. Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with LVO stroke undergoing EVT. BP and cardiac hemodynamic variables were recorded every 20 seconds from emergency room admission until end of EVT using non-invasive finger plethysmography. Time trends of BP recordings were categorized into 4 windows: admission to imaging; imaging to EVT; EVT to groin puncture and groin puncture to recanalization. Episodes of hypotension (mean arterial pressure ≤ 70 mmHg) were correlated with administered medications and other potentially related interventions. Time trends in hemodynamic variables were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. Results: 25 patients underwent continuous BP monitoring (age 74±18; 68% female; mean NIHSS 12, monitoring time 8.34±2 hrs). Aggregated time series data revealed a marked BP reduction around time of imaging from which patients recovered (mean SBP 33 mmHg, duration 18 min, Fig A). A sustained decrease in BP was observed after groin puncture without return to baseline BP levels. In 62% of cases, reductions in BP were associated with BP lowering medications. A significant reduction in cardiac output (p=0.003) and increase in stroke volume variation (p=0.022) was seen across predetermined time points (Fig B & C). Conclusion: In patients with LVO, marked and frequently iatrogenic BP reductions occur around time of initial imaging and may present a potential target for intervention. Changes in cardiac hemodynamic variables throughout acute stroke period suggest a potential role for fluid resuscitation for hemodynamic optimization.

Abstract WP399: Delayed Response to Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering and Poor Clinical Outcomes in Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and purpose: We aimed to highlight temporal trajectories of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) to investigate the clinical relevance of heterogeneity in responses to blood pressure lowering therapy. Methods: A post-hoc analysis of ATACH-2 trial, in which ICH patients were randomly assigned to intensive or standard SBP lowering with intravenous administration of nicardipine. Using data for all 1000 patients enrolled from 110 clinical sites, temporal changes of hourly maximum SBP up to 24 hours after randomization were analyzed with the group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM). Model selection was mainly based on the Bayesian Information Criteria. The primary outcome was death or disability (modified Rankin Scale score 4-6) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included hematoma expansion within 24 hours and acute kidney injury (AKI). AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine by ≥0.3 mg/dl or to ≥1.5 times baseline within 48 hours. The outcomes were compared between the trajectory groups using multivariable logistic models with random-effects by clinical sites. Results: Of the analyzed 1000 patients, death or disability, hematoma expansion, and AKI were encountered in 367, 161, and 101 patients, respectively. GBTM revealed 4 SBP trajectory groups: early response-low SBP (38.2%), moderate SBP (16.8%), delayed response-low SBP (14.2%), and high SBP (30.8%). Nicardipine dosage was highest in the delayed response-low SBP group, 81.7% of which were from the intensive SBP lowering group. The risk of death or disability was higher only in the delayed response-low SBP group (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.86; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66-4.93) than in the early response-low SBP group. The risk of hematoma expansion was not significantly different among the groups. The delayed response-low SBP group had higher risk of AKI (aOR 2.78; 95% CI 1.46-5.31; reference, the early response-low SBP group). Conclusions: An SBP trajectory group with delayed SBP lowering despite intensive treatment was associated with increased risk of death or disability at 3 months. Resistance to intensive SBP lowering may predict poor clinical outcomes, and intensive SBP control in these cases will increase the risk of AKI.

Abstract WP94: Higher Mortality in Slow Blood Pressure Droppers: Blood Pressure Trajectory Groups of 1-Year After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Although the effect of blood pressure in post-stroke outcome is well recognized, the long-term time course of BP following acute ischemic stroke and it’s influence to outcomes have not been well elucidated. Method: From a multicenter prospective registry of acute ischemic stroke patients, a total of 5,514 patients with measurement of systolic blood pressure (SBP) in more than 2 of 7 prespecified time points up to 1 year after symptom onset were analyzed. The patients were grouped according to longitudinal SBPs of each patient using a group-based trajectory model, and number of groups were determined by the optimal delta-Bayesian Information Criterion. Outcome measures, which were stroke recurrence, mortality and composite of each events along with myocardial infarction were prospectively collected up to 1 year after symptom onset. Results: Patients were categorized into four groups according to their SBP trajectories: low (27.0%), moderate (59.5%), persistently high (1.2%), and slowly dropping (12.4%). After adjustment for pre-determined covariates, there were higher risk of stroke recurrence in persistently high SBP group (hazard ratio (HR), 2.28 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01-5.12]). Mortality was higher only in the slowly dropping SBP group (HR, 1.50 [95% CI, 1.09-2.05]). Composite events were higher in both persistently high (HR, 1.96 [95% CI, 1.02-3.75]) and slowing dropping (HR, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.18-2.00]) SBP groups. Conclusion: There were a group of patterns in long-term longitudinal SBP changes after acute ischemic stroke. Especially, slow BP droppers might have a distinct nature with higher mortality and would be a target for future investigations.

Blood pressure trajectory modeling in childhood: birth-cohort study

BackgroundSystolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) tends to increase with age and increase in proportion to body weight and height. Recent epidemiological and longitudinal cohort studies have found that high BP in children can be progressed into hypertension (HTN) in adulthood. Therefore, the aim of this study is that we monitor and analyze the tendency of the BP trajectory in children from the age of 3 years to the age of 10 years.MethodA total of 767 subjects were gathered from Ewha Birth and Growth cohort study. We observed and analyzed the data of 65 subjects which were completely repeated measures for 6 times as 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 years old follow-up. We collected retrospective information such as BP and anthropometric data measured for children and constructed the trajectory models of SBP and DBP in early stage of life.ResultsThree distinct trajectories on SBP and DBP from 3 to 10 years old were identified. As a result of SBP, 82.7% (n = 54) of subjects experienced moderate SBP levels maintained stable levels; 13.7% (n = 9) of subjects experienced a rapid increase as the age increase; 3.6% (n = 2) of subjects experienced high SBP levels throughout follow-up as moderate grade. For DBP, 6.7% (n = 4) of subjects started with low levels and experienced generally a gradual grade; 61.7% (n = 41) of subjects started with moderate levels and experienced a steep increase at 7-years-old; 31.6% (n = 20) of subjects experienced a rapid increase on DBP levels.ConclusionThe result of study shows tendency of increase BP as the age increase. This research inspires that we verify risk group and risk factor in early stage of life with trajectory modeling for the HTN prevention in adulthood.

Sex Differences in Blood Pressure Trajectories Over the Life Course

If we assume that women and men exhibit variations of the same fundamental vascular physiology, then conventional analyses of subclinical measures would suggest that women catch up to men by midlife in the extent of potentially important vascular disease. Alternatively, under the assumption that vascular physiology may fundamentally differ between women and men, a sex-specific analysis of existing data could offer new insights and augment our understanding of sex differences in cardiovascular diseases. To evaluate whether longitudinal patterns of blood pressure (BP) elevation differ between women and men during the life course when considering baseline BP levels as the reference. We conducted sex-specific analyses of longitudinal BP measures (144 599 observations) collected for a period of 43 years (1971 to 2014) in 4 community-based US cohort studies. The combined total included 32 833 participants (54% female) spanning ages 5 to 98 years. Data were analyzed between May 4, 2019, and August 5, 2019. Age and serially assessed longitudinal BP measures: systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure (MAP), and pulse pressure (PP). Sex-specific change in each primary BP measure compared with baseline BP levels, derived from multilevel longitudinal models fitted over the age span, and new-onset cardiovascular disease events. Of the 32 833 participants, 17 733 were women (54%). Women compared with men exhibited a steeper increase in BP that began as early as in the third decade and continued through the life course (likelihood ratio test χ2 = 531 for systolic BP; χ2 = 123 for diastolic BP; χ2 = 325 for MAP; and χ2 = 572 for PP; P for all <.001). After adjustment for multiple cardiovascular disease risk factors, these between-sex differences in all BP trajectories persisted (likelihood ratio test χ2 = 314 for systolic BP; χ2 = 31 for diastolic BP; χ2 = 129 for MAP; and χ2 = 485 for PP; P for all <.001). In contrast with the notion that important vascular disease processes in women lag behind men by 10 to 20 years, sex-specific analyses indicate that BP measures actually progress more rapidly in women than in men, beginning early in life. This early-onset sexual dimorphism may set the stage for later-life cardiovascular diseases that tend to present differently, not simply later, in women compared with men.

Cardiovascular Disease-Related Pregnancy Complications Are Associated with Increased Maternal Levels and Trajectories of Cardiovascular Disease Biomarkers During and After Pregnancy.

Background: Having a pregnancy complicated by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and/or having a small or preterm baby put a woman at risk for later cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is uncertain if higher maternal CVD risk factors (reflected by increased peripartum CVD biomarker levels) account for this risk, or if experiencing a complicated pregnancy itself increases a woman's CVD risk (reflected by an increase in biomarker trajectories from early pregnancy to postpartum). Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of an 8-week mindful eating and stress reduction intervention in 110 pregnant women. We used mixed linear regression analysis to compare CVD biomarker levels and trajectories, between women with and without a CVD-related pregnancy complication (including HDP [gestational hypertension or preeclampsia] or having a small for gestational age [<10th percentile] or preterm [<37 weeks] baby), at three times: (1) 12-20 weeks of gestation, (2) 3 months postpartum, and (3) 9 months postpartum. CVD biomarkers studied included serum glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor, and lipids. We adjusted for age, maternal smoking, prepregnancy BMI, BP, age × time, and BMI × time. Results: Women had a mean age of 28 years (standard deviation [SD] 6), mean prior pregnancies of 0.8 (SD 1.0), and 22 women had one or more CVD-related pregnancy complications. HOMA-IR, diastolic BP, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and IL-6 average levels, but not trajectories, differed among women with complicated versus normal pregnancy (all p values were ≤0.04). Peripartum glucose and systolic BP trajectories were statistically greater in complicated versus normal pregnancies (p values were 0.008 and 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: We conclude that the experience of a complicated pregnancy in addition to elevated CVD risk factor levels may both increase a woman's risk of future CVD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01307683.

Predicting diabetes clinical outcomes using longitudinal risk factor trajectories

BackgroundThe ubiquity of electronic health records (EHR) offers an opportunity to observe trajectories of laboratory results and vital signs over long periods of time. This study assessed the value of risk factor trajectories available in the electronic health record to predict incident type 2 diabetes.Study design and methodsAnalysis was based on a large 13-year retrospective cohort of 71,545 adult, non-diabetic patients with baseline in 2005 and median follow-up time of 8 years. The trajectories of fasting plasma glucose, lipids, BMI and blood pressure were computed over three time frames (2000–2001, 2002–2003, 2004) before baseline. A novel method, Cumulative Exposure (CE), was developed and evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression to assess risk of incident type 2 diabetes. We used the Framingham Diabetes Risk Scoring (FDRS) Model as control.ResultsThe new model outperformed the FDRS Model (.802 vs .660; p-values <2e-16). Cumulative exposure measured over different periods showed that even short episodes of hyperglycemia increase the risk of developing diabetes. Returning to normoglycemia moderates the risk, but does not fully eliminate it. The longer an individual maintains glycemic control after a hyperglycemic episode, the lower the subsequent risk of diabetes.ConclusionIncorporating risk factor trajectories substantially increases the ability of clinical decision support risk models to predict onset of type 2 diabetes and provides information about how risk changes over time.

Feature of trajectory of blood pressure among pregnant women with gestational hypertension.

We aimed to describe the feature and the trajectory of blood pressure (BP) among pregnant women with onset of gestational hypertension. This epidemiology cohort study of pregnant women enrolled in Zhoushan, Zhejiang, included 4050 participants from the Zhoushan Pregnant Women Cohort. Each participant contributed up to eight serial perinatal visits of BP measurements from 2001 to 2018. Segmented mixed models were utilized to identify the dramatic change points in the relationship of BP elevation and gestational week among pregnant women with onset of gestational hypertension. Despite of in which gestational week gestational hypertension developed, the SBP and DBP levels of pregnant women in each gestational hypertension category maintained the stable and normal levels (SBP <119∼130 and DBP <76∼83 mmHg) before the accelerated point. However, after the accelerated point, BP dramatically developed to gestational hypertension in a very short time period. Meanwhile, the earlier gestational hypertension onset was, the higher the baseline BP were; meanwhile, the earlier the gestational hypertension onset was, the higher the difference in BP at the gestational week of gestational hypertension onset between women with and without gestational hypertension was. BP trajectories of gestational hypertension onset in different gestational week presented similar patterns. Meanwhile, the earlier gestational hypertension onset was, the higher the baseline BPs were. These findings show that BP monitoring during pregnancy is necessary, especially for women with high normal baseline BP.

Hypertension in children in sub-Saharan Africa: primordial prevention is crucial

Hypertension in children in sub-Saharan Africa: primordial prevention is crucial

25: The impact of race on blood pressure trajectory in the postpartum period

25: The impact of race on blood pressure trajectory in the postpartum period

Impact of Stiffer Arteries on the Response to Antihypertensive Treatment: A Longitudinal Study of the SardiNIA Cohort

ObjectivesCarotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), an index of arterial stiffness and a proxy of arterial aging, has been reported to be an independent determinant of cardiovascular health. Whether the effects of antihypertensive treatment vary in the presence of accelerated arterial aging (stiffer artery, ie, PWV >10 m/s) has not been established. We tested this hypothesis in a longitudinal study in a large community-dwelling population. DesignLongitudinal population study with repeated measures. Setting and ParticipantsStudy population consisted of a cohort of 6011 volunteers (2546 men and 3465 women, age range 14-101 years; 15,011 observations over a median follow-up of 6.8 years) participating in the SardiNIA Study. MeasuresRepeated measures of PWV, blood pressure (BP), and metabolic risk factors and the antihypertensive medication trajectories of BP and PWV over time were assessed via mixed effects models. ResultsAntihypertensive treatment significantly affected the trajectory of BP in both participants with (−0.47 ± 0.20 mmHg/y, P = .02) and participants without stiffer arteries (−0.47 ± 0.07 mmHg/y, P = .001). They also affected the trajectory of PWV in participants with stiffer artery, independent of the BP values. Conclusions and ImplicationsAntihypertensive treatment is effective in reducing both BP and PWV in older individuals with stiffer arteries.

Identifying critical windows of prenatal particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and early childhood blood pressure

BackgroundExposure to air pollution is associated with increased blood pressure (BP) in adults and children. Some evidence suggests that air pollution exposure during the prenatal period may contribute to adverse cardiorenal health later in life. Here we apply a distributed lag model (DLM) approach to identify critical windows that may underlie the association between prenatal particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) exposure and children's BP at ages 4–6 years. MethodsParticipants included 537 mother-child dyads enrolled in the Programming Research in Obesity, GRowth Environment, and Social Stress (PROGRESS) longitudinal birth cohort study based in Mexico City. Prenatal daily PM2.5 exposure was estimated using a validated satellite-based spatio-temporal model and BP was measured using the automated Spacelabs system with a sized cuff. We used distributed lag models (DLMs) to examine associations between daily PM2.5 exposure and systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP), adjusting for child's age, sex and BMI, as well as maternal education, preeclampsia and indoor smoking report during the second and third trimester, seasonality and average postnatal year 1 PM2.5 exposure. ResultsWe found that PM2.5 exposure between weeks 11–32 of gestation (days 80–226) was significantly associated with children's increased SBP. Similarly, PM2.5 exposure between weeks 9–25 of gestation (days 63–176) was significantly associated with increased DBP. To place this into context, a constant 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 sustained throughout this critical window would predict a cumulative increase of 2.6 mmHg (CI: 0.5, 4.6) in SBP and 0.88 mmHg (CI: 0.1, 1.6) in DBP at ages 4–6 years. In a stratified analysis by sex, this association persisted in boys but not in girls. ConclusionsSecond and third trimester PM2.5 exposure may increase children's BP in early life. Further work investigating PM2.5 exposure with BP trajectories later in childhood will be important to understanding cardiorenal trajectories that may predict adult disease. Our results underscore the importance of reducing air pollution exposure among susceptible populations, including pregnant women.

Deportation Worry, Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Trajectories, and Incident Hypertension: A Community-Based Cohort Study.

BackgroundWorry about deportation has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in cross‐sectional research. No research has evaluated this association longitudinally or examined the association between deportation worry and incident cardiovascular disease outcomes.Methods and ResultsWe used data from an ongoing community‐based cohort of 572 women primarily of Mexican origin. We estimated associations between self‐reported deportation worry and: (1) trajectories of blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference with linear mixed models, and (2) incident hypertension with Cox proportional hazards models. Nearly half (48%) of women reported “a lot,” 24% reported “moderate,” and 28% reported “not too much” deportation worry. Higher worry at baseline was associated with nonlinear systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure trajectories. For example, compared with not too much worry, a lot of worry was associated with a faster initial increase (β, interaction with linear year term: 4.10; 95% CI, 1.17–7.03) followed by a faster decrease in systolic blood pressure (β, interaction with quadratic year term: −0.80; 95% CI, −1.55 to −0.06). There was weak evidence of an association between deportation worry and diastolic blood pressure and no association with body mass index, waist circumference, or pulse pressure trajectories. Among 408 women without baseline hypertension, reporting a lot (hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.15–4.10) and moderate deportation worry (hazard ratio, 2.48; 95% CI, 1.17–4.30) were each associated with greater risk of incident hypertension compared with reporting not too much worry.ConclusionsDeportation worry may contribute to widening disparities in some cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes over time.

High Blood Pressure in Young Adult Survivors Born Extremely Preterm or Extremely Low Birthweight in the Post Surfactant Era.

More infants born extremely preterm (<28 weeks' gestation) or extremely low birthweight (<1000 g) are surviving into adulthood in recent years. Preterm adolescents have higher blood pressure (BP) than normal birthweight controls, but how their BP changes with increasing age is not known. We compared BP at 25 years and trajectories of BP (change per year) from 18 to 25 years between survivors born <28 weeks/<1000 g and normal birthweight (>2499 g) controls born in the early 1990s, when survival rates began to rise. Participants were derived from 297 consecutive survivors born <28 weeks/<1000 g in 1991 to 1992 in Victoria, Australia, and 260 contemporaneous controls. At age 25 years, ambulatory BP was measured in 151 and 119 participants, respectively. Participants born <28 weeks/<1000 g had higher 24-hour systolic (mean difference 4.5 [95% CI, 1.2-7.7 mm Hg]), diastolic (3.4 [1.5-5.2 mm Hg]), and mean BPs (3.6 [1.4-5.8 mm Hg]) compared with the controls. Similar patterns were observed for both awake and asleep periods. Asleep ambulatory BP between 18 and 25 years increased more in participants born <28 weeks/<1000 g than in controls (systolic 0.56, diastolic 0.41, and mean 0.41 mm Hg increase per year; all P<0.05). Young adults born <28 weeks/<1000 g in the post surfactant era have higher BP and an increased trajectory of ambulatory BP compared with controls. With more survivors born <28 weeks/<1000 g now reaching adulthood, these findings are important for early detection and timely management of hypertension in this high-risk population.

Associations of systolic blood pressure trajectories during pregnancy and risk of adverse perinatal outcomes.

This study aimed to explore the association of systolic blood pressure (SBP) trajectories of pregnant women with the risk of adverse outcomes of pregnant women and their fetuses. A register-based cohort of 63,724 pregnant women and their fetuses from January 2013 to December 2017 was investigated. Demographic characteristics, history of disease and family history of disease for pregnant women and perinatal outcomes were recorded, and blood pressure was measured during the whole pregnancy. SBP trajectories were estimated with latent mixture modeling by Proc Traj in SAS using SBP data from the first antenatal care appointment (8-14 weeks), the highest SBP before admission, the admission SBP and the SBP at 2 h postpartum. A censored normal model (CNORM) was considered appropriate, and model fit was assessed using the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). A logistic regression model was used to examine the association between SBP trajectories and the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Four distinct SBP trajectory patterns over the pregnancy period were identified and were labeled as low-stable, moderate-stable, high-decreasing and moderate-increasing. Three maternal and three fetal adverse outcomes were selected as the main outcome measures. After adjusting for confounding factors, compared with pregnant women with the low-stable pattern, those with the high-decreasing pattern had a higher risk of developing poor growth outcomes of fetuses, while those with the moderate-increasing pattern had higher risks of developing both adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Our study results suggest that pregnant women should pay attention to the control of blood pressure throughout pregnancy.

Blood pressure profile and endothelial function in restless legs syndrome

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is frequently comorbid with hypertension and cardiovascular diseases; however this relationship and underlying mechanisms remain controversial. After clinical evaluation, 84 drug-free patients with primary RLS (53 women; mean age 55.1 ± 12.3 years) and 76 controls (47 women; mean age 52.2 ± 15.3 years) underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and polysomnographic monitoring, and peripheral arterial tonometry to assess endothelial function for 61 patients and 69 controls. Hypertension was diagnosed in 11.9% of patients with RLS based on office measurement, and in 46.4% on the 24 h recording, with nighttime hypertension, two times more frequent than daytime hypertension. Periodic limb movement during sleep (PLMS), markers of sleep fragmentation, and systolic and mean BP non-dipping profile were more frequent among patients. BP non-dipping status was associated with older age, later RLS onset and diagnosis, RLS severity and higher sleep fragmentation. The mean 24-hour, daytime and nighttime BP values, the frequency of hypertension and the endothelial function were comparable between groups. However, both systolic and diastolic BP trajectories over a 24-hour period differed between groups. In conclusion, patients with RLS exhibit a 24-hour BP deregulation with increased frequency of systolic non-dipping profiles that could worsen the risk for CVD morbidity and mortality.

Midlife Blood Pressure and Brain Abnormalities Decades Later

Hypertension is a powerful risk factor for ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. The effects of blood pressure (BP) values and trajectories in midlife on

Blood pressure change across pregnancy in white British and Pakistani women: analysis of data from the Born in Bradford cohort

The incidence of gestational hypertension (GH) and pre-eclampsia (PE) is increasing. Use of blood pressure (BP) change patterns may improve early detection of BP abnormalities. We used Linear spline random-effects models to estimate BP patterns across pregnancy for white British and Pakistani women. Pakistani women compared to white British women had lower BP during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, irrespective of the development of GH or PE or presence of a risk factor. Pakistani compared to white British women with GH and PE showed steeper BP increases towards the end of pregnancy. Pakistani women were half as likely to develop GH, but as likely to develop PE than white British women. To conclude; BP trajectories differ by ethnicity. Because GH developed evenly from 20 weeks gestation, and PE occurred more commonly after 36 weeks in both ethnic groups, the lower BP up to the third trimester in Pakistani women resulted in a lower GH rate, whereas PE rates, influenced by the steep third trimester BP increase were similar. Criteria for diagnosing GH and PE may benefit from considering ethnic differences in BP change across pregnancy.

Early-Life Predictors of Systolic Blood Pressure Trajectories From Infancy to Adolescence: Findings From Project Viva.

Childhood blood pressure (BP) is a strong predictor of later risk of cardiovascular disease. However, few studies have assessed dynamic BP trajectories throughout the early-life period. We investigated the relationship between early-life factors and systolic BP (SBP) from infancy to adolescence using linear spline mixed-effects models among 1,370 children from Project Viva, a Boston, Massachusetts-area cohort recruited in 1999-2002. After adjusting for confounders and child height, we observed higher SBP in children exposed to gestational diabetes mellitus (vs. normoglycemia; age 3 years: β = 3.16 mm Hg (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28, 6.04); age 6 years: β = 1.83 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.06, 3.60)), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (vs. normal maternal BP; age 6 years: β = 1.39 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.10, 2.67); age 9 years: β = 1.84 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.34, 3.34); age 12 years: β = 1.70 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.48, 2.92)), higher neonatal SBP (per 10-mm Hg increase; age 3 years: β = 1.26 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.42, 2.09); age 6 years: β = 1.00 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.49, 1.51); age 9 years: β = 0.75 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.17, 1.33)), and formula milk in the first 6 months of life (vs. breast milk only; age 12 years: β = 2.10 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.46, 3.74); age 15 years: β = 3.52 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.40, 5.64); age 18 years: β = 4.94 mm Hg (95% CI: 1.88, 7.99)). Our findings provide evidence of programming of offspring SBP trajectories by gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and formula milk intake and of neonatal BP being a potentially useful marker of childhood BP. These factors could be relevant in identifying children who are at risk of developing elevated BP.