Diastolic Blood Pressure Variability Research Articles

The renal function in men with hypertension in conditions of purine and carbohydrate metabolism disorders

Aim. To assess the condition of renal function in hypertensive men in conditions of disorders of purine and carbohydrate metabolism Material and methods. 60 male patients (aged from 18 to 65 years) with stage I–II of arterial hypertension (AH) and purine and carbohydrate metabolism disorders were examined. In these patients, the level of uric acid (UA) in daily urine, fractional excretion of UA, creatinine in daily urine, microalbumin in urine and the cystatin C level were determined. Hemodynamics was studied by daily blood pressure monitoring. Assessment of kinetics and deformation of the myocardium in offline mode using the Xstrain software package integrated into the ultrasound device (Esaote, Italy) was made. Patients were divided into 2 clinical groups – 1 group of AH with hyperuricemia, 2 – AH without uricemia. Statistical analysis of the results was performed using the Statistica 13.0 software package (Statsoft, USA). Results. Correlation analysis in group 1 showed a positive correlation of cystatin C with the average daytime systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.408) and the variability of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at night (r = 0.405), urinary microalbumin with the average SBP at night (r = 0.390) and average pulse blood pressure (r = 0.402), LV posterior wall thickness (r = 0.438), LV myocardial mass index (r = 0.621), end-diastolic index (EDI) (r = 0.492), end-systolic index (ESI) (r = 0.426), LV anterior-posterior size (r = 0.385). A negative correlation was established between blood serum SC and ejection fraction (EF) of the LV (r = -0.410), urinary microalbumin with cardiac index (SI) (r = -0.555) and the speed of movement of the lateral (e’ lat) part of the annulus fibrosus mitral valve (r = -0.453). Conclusions. As a result of the studies, the negative influence of hyperuricemia and hyperglycemia in patients with AH on renal function was established. These changes were evidenced by an increase in microalbuminuria level, a decrease in the fractional excretion of UA, an increasing the serum UA level, remodeling of the myocardium, and worsening of the heart systolic function, worsening of the daily blood pressure profile.

Home Blood Pressure Monitoring And Nocturia In Adults.

Although widely viewed as a urological condition, nocturia has been increasingly recognized to accompany various non-urological conditions such as hypertension and blood pressure (BP) elevation on office determination. Home BP monitoring (HBPM) has been shown superior to office-based readings and provides an opportunity to assess potential relationships between nocturia and novel indices derived from multiple BP recordings including BP load, BP variability, and arterial stiffness, which have prognostic significance. We retrospectively studied 103 home BP logs and nocturia frequencies provided by 61 stable cardiology patients ≥ 21 years without medication change. Nocturnal voids ranged from 0 to 5 voids per night, median: 1.5. Nocturia frequency was significantly correlated with home and office systolic BPs and with BP load, but not with diastolic BPs, BP variability or arterial stiffness. On Poisson regression analysis, the estimated prevalence ratio (PR) for home and office systolic BPs were 1.025 (CI: 1.01, 1.04; p < .001) and 1.01 (CI:1.00, 1.02; p = .019), indicating 2.5% and 1% increases in the risk of nocturia per mmHg increases in BP respectively. In conclusion, higher mean home and office systolic BPs are associated with self-reported nocturia frequency with stronger associations seen for home BP measurement. Nocturia frequency appears unrelated to mean home and office diastolic BPs. Nocturia may be related to BP load, (percentage of elevated BP values), but not to BP variability or arterial stiffness. Future prospective studies using HBPM are needed to confirm these findings and to contribute to the understanding of the elevated BP-nocturia link.

Abstract 10574: Disrupted Sleep is Associated With Increased 24-Hour Systolic Blood Pressure Variability in Caregivers

Introduction. A growing body of research shows an association between caregiving and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Blood pressure variability (BPV) is known as a surrogate marker of CVD development. However, BPV in caregivers has rarely been used to assess for CVD risk, especially in relation to psychological and behavioral factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of psychological symptoms (i.e., caregiving burden and depressive symptoms) and sleep quality with 24-hour BPV among caregivers of individuals with chronic illness. Methods. Thirty caregivers (25 female; 27 non-Hispanic white; mean age 62 years) who provided in-home care were recruited from the community in this cross-sectional study. Caregiver demographic data, caregiving stress (Zarit Burden Interview), and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were obtained. Sleep quality (i.e., sleep efficiency, wake after sleep onset, the number of awakenings) was assessed using an actigraph for 7 consecutive days. Systolic and diastolic BPV over 24 hours, while awake (daytime), and while sleeping (night time) were obtained by ambulatory BP monitoring. Pearson's correlations and multiple linear regression were conducted to examine associations of psychological symptoms and sleep quality with BPV. Results. Sleep efficiency was negatively correlated with diastolic BPV while awake ( r = -0.368, p = 0.045). The number of awakenings during sleep was positively correlated with systolic BPV while awake ( r = 0.426, p = 0.019) and diastolic BPV while awake ( r = 0.422, p = 0.020). Caregiving stress and depression were not correlated with BPV. After controlling for age and mean arterial pressure, the number of awakenings was associated with increased systolic BPV over 24 hours ( B = 0.194, p = 0.018) and systolic BPV while awake ( B = 0.280, p = 0.002), respectively. Conclusion. Caregivers’ disrupted sleep represented by frequent awakenings may play a role in increased CVD risk as evidenced by increased BPV. While future large clinical studies should be conducted to confirm these findings, improving sleep quality would need to be considered for CVD prevention strategies for caregivers.

Abstract 13192: The Influence of Posture and Steps on Daytime Ambulatory Blood Pressure

Introduction: Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) provides data beyond clinic BP. Yet, free-living activity prior to measurements may add variability and obscure clinical interpretation. The influence of posture and ambulation on ABPM is unclear. Hypothesis: Posture and ambulation will partially explain variability in daytime ABPM. Methods: This study used baseline data from RESET BP (NCT03307343), a randomized clinical trial testing a sedentary behavior reduction intervention among inactive desk workers with elevated, unmedicated BP. ABPM was measured 2 x per self-reported waking hour over 24 hours with a SunTech Medical ® Oscar 2 TM ambulatory BP monitor. Upright posture and step count were concurrently captured with an activPAL TM thigh-worn accelerometer. Upright time and steps were summed for the 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-minute intervals prior to each ABPM measurement. Percentage of BP variability explained (R 2 ) by upright time, steps, and both was calculated within-subject using linear regression. Additional models considered quadratic terms for upright time and steps. Results: Participants (n=256) were 59% female, with mean±SD age of 45.2±11.6 years, resting systolic BP (SBP) of 130±10 and diastolic BP (DBP) of 84±7, and provided 32.5±3.9 daytime ABPM measurements. Upright time and steps were directly associated with BP. Upright time and steps explained the most variability (highest R 2 ) using the 1-minute interval prior to ABPM measurement; R 2 gradually declined with increasing interval length. From 1-minute prior, upright time explained 12% of the variability in SBP and 10% of DBP, on average. Adding an upright time quadratic term increased R 2 (SBP: 16%; DBP: 13%). Steps in the minute prior explained 12% and 7% of the variability in SBP and DBP, respectively, and increased to 16% and 11% with the addition of a quadratic term. A final model including upright time, steps, and quadratic terms explained 25% and 20% of the variability in SBP and DBP, respectively. Conclusions: Posture and steps, especially in the minute prior, explained a substantial amount of individual variability in ABPM. These findings advance our understanding of BP variability and may have implications for the quantification and interpretation of daytime ABPM data.

Abstract 14598: Relationship of Ambulatory Blood Pressure Profiles on Progression of Aortic Atheroma in Patients With Stroke

Introduction: Aortic atherosclerotic burden is known to be associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke. However, longitudinal data and the risk factors about aortic plaque progression are limited. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that ambulatory blood pressure (BP) variables would play a role in progression of aortic atheroma over 2 years in patients with stroke Methods: 115 patients with who underwent serial transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) over 2 years were enrolled. Aortic atheroma was graded as mild (2-3mm), moderate (3-5 mm), severe (&gt;5mm), or complex (ulceration and/or mobile component) using TEE. Progression of aortic atheroma was defined as an increase of maximal plaque thickness by ≥1 grade. Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) was performed when BP was stabilized. The association between ABPM variables and aortic atheroma progression was assessed. Results: During the median follow-up of 25.0 months, 10 (8.7%) were regressed, 13 (11.3%) were progressed, and 92 (80.0%) remained unchanged. Female had more progression of aortic atheroma (p=0.007). However, baseline LDL cholesterol, change of LDL cholesterol, intensity of statin and baseline plaque thickness were not significantly associated with change of aortic plaque. Regarding ABPM variables, systolic ABPM variables including 24 hour, daytime and nighttime mean systolic BP were associated with progression of aortic atheroma, whereas diastolic BP variables were not associated with change of aortic atherosclerosis. 24 hour, daytime and nighttime mean systolic BP were significantly related to plaque progression even after adjusting for clinical parameters (p=0.007 for 24 hour and daytime SBP, p=0.003 for nighttime SBP). Conclusions: Systolic BP variables were associated with progression of aortic atheroma in patients with stroke, which suggests systolic BP control can be a key to suppress progression of aortic plaques.

Abstract 14300: Arterial Stiffness is Associated With Intermediate-Term Home Blood Pressure Variability: The Electronic Framingham Heart Study

Introduction: Short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension. Few studies examined associations between arterial stiffness and digital home BPV over an intermediate time span. Objective: We investigated if antecedent arterial stiffness was associated with home BPV among participants in the electronic Framingham Heart Study (eFHS). We hypothesize that higher arterial stiffness predicts higher intermediate-term home BPV over one-year follow-up. Methods: At an FHS research exam (2016-2019), participants underwent arterial tonometry to acquire mean arterial pressure (MAP) and measures of arterial stiffness (carotid femoral pulse wave velocity, CFPWV; forward pressure wave amplitude, FWA) and wave reflection (reflection coefficient, RC). Participants who agreed to enroll in eFHS were provided with a digital blood pressure (BP) cuff to measure home BP weekly. Participants with &lt; 3 weeks of BP readings were excluded. Linear regression models were used to examine associations of arterial measures with home average real variability (ARV) of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) BP adjusting for covariates. We obtained ARV as an average of the absolute differences of consecutive BP measurements. ARV considers not only the dispersion of the BP readings around the mean, but also the order of BP readings. We used p&lt;0.05 for significance. Results: Among 857 eFHS participants (mean age 54 years, 59% women, mean BP 119/76, 47% hypertension, mean ARV of DBP 5.50, mean ARV of SBP 8.61), higher FWA and RC were associated with higher ARV of SBP ( Table ). Higher CFPWV was associated with lower ARV of DBP ( Table ). Conclusion: In eFHS, higher FWA and RC were associated with higher intermediate-term home BPV of SBP while higher CFPWV was associated with blunted BPV of DBP. Our findings suggest that higher aortic stiffness and wave reflection may affect day-to-day modulation of blood pressure in a home-based setting.

The Relationship between the Plasma Concentration of Electrolytes and Intensity of Sleep Bruxism and Blood Pressure Variability among Sleep Bruxers.

Plasma sodium plays a major role in regulating blood pressure (BP). An augmented variability of BP is considered a risk factor for the development of arterial hypertension, which is prevalent among patients with suspected sleep bruxism (SB). The aims of this study were to assess the plasma concentration of electrolytes and their effect on the intensity of SB and BP variability among sleep bruxers. A total of 51 patients were enrolled in this prospective, observational study. A single full-night polysomnographic examination was conducted in the Wroclaw Medical University Sleep Laboratory, Poland, and based on the guidelines of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the results were analyzed. The monitoring of ambulatory BP was performed the next day, and the plasma levels of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium were measured. The mean age of the studied group was 33.9 ± 11.2 years, and the mean bruxism episode index (BEI) was 4.94 ± 3.53. The study revealed statistically significant differences in the plasma concentrations of sodium in the SB group. A decreased sodium concentration was observed in the group of mild bruxers (2 ≤ BEI &lt; 4) (139.7 ± 1.4 vs. 142.8 ± 3.2, p = 0.002) and severe bruxers (BEI ≥ 4) (140.5 ± 2.0 vs. 142.8 ± 3.2, p = 0.016) compared to nonbruxers (BEI &lt; 2). A statistically significant positive linear correlation was found between plasma sodium concentration and daytime systolic BP variability (r = 0.32, p &lt; 0.05) as well as between plasma sodium concentration and nighttime diastolic BP variability (r = 0.31, p &lt; 0.05). The preliminary results suggest the probable relationship between the lower plasma concentration of sodium and increased intensity of SB and BP variability among suspected sleep bruxers.

Effect of 3, 2-Drug Combinations of Antihypertensive Therapies on Blood Pressure Variability in Black African Patients: Secondary Analyses of the CREOLE Trial

The effect of 3 commonly recommended combinations of anti-hypertensive agents-amlodipine plus hydrochlorothiazide (calcium channel blocker [CCB]+thiazide), amlodipine plus perindopril (CCB+ACE [angiotensin-converting enzyme]-inhibitor), and perindopril plus hydrochlorothiazide (ACE-inhibitor+thiazide) on blood pressure variability (V) are unknown. We calculated the blood pressure variability (BPV) in 405 patients (130, 146, and 129 randomized to ACE-inhibitor+thiazide, CCB+thiazide, and CCB+ACE-inhibitor, respectively) who underwent ambulatory blood pressure monitoring after 6 months of treatment in the Comparisons of Three Combinations Therapies in Lowering Blood Pressure in Black Africans trial (CREOLE) of Black African patients. BPV was calculated using the SD of 30-minute interval values for 24-hour ambulatory BPs and for confirmation using the coefficient of variation. Linear mixed model regression was used to calculate mean differences in BPV between treatment arms. Within-clinic BPV was also calculated from the mean SD and coefficient of variation of 3 readings at clinic visits. Baseline distributions of age, sex, and blood pressure parameters were similar across treatment groups. Participants were predominately male (62.2%) with mean age 50.4 years. Those taking CCB+thiazide had significantly reduced ambulatory systolic and diastolic BPV compared with those taking ACE-inhibitor+thiazide. The CCB+thiazide and CCB+ACE-inhibitor groups showed similar BPV. Similar patterns of BPV were apparent among groups using within-clinic blood pressures and when assessed by coefficient of variation. Compared with CCB-containing combinations, ACE-inhibitor plus thiazide was associated with higher levels, generally significant, of ambulatory and within-clinic systolic and diastolic BPV. These results supplement the differential ambulatory blood pressure-lowering effects of these therapies in the CREOLE trial.

Visit-to-visit variability of blood pressure and risk of macrovascular and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes: A Chinese primary-care cohort study.

We evaluated the effects of visit-to-visit variability of systolic blood pressure (SBP)and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) on macrovascular and microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes. A total of 11 043 patientswith type 2 diabetes from primary healthcare institutions between January 2010 and June 2020 were included. The visit-to-visit blood pressure variability was calculated using three metrics: SD, coefficient of variation (CV), and average real variability (ARV), obtained over a 12-month measurement period. The associationsof visit-to-visit blood pressure variability with macrovascular and microvascular complications wereevaluated using multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, and hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. There were 330 macrovascular events and 542 microvascular events. Compared to those for participants with the lowest quartile of SD of SBP and DBP, increased risks were observed in patients with the highest quartile of SD of SBP and DBP for macrovascular complications (SD-SBP: HR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.24-2.57; SD-DBP: HR=2.20, 95% CI: 1.50-3.25) and microvascular complications (SD-SBP: HR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.39-2.46; SD-DBP: HR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.36-2.44). CV and ARV of SBP and DBP also had statistically significant associations with macrovascular and microvascular complications. The optimal variability of blood pressure target was SD of SBP <6.45 mm Hg and SD of DBP <4.81 mm Hg. Visit-to-visit blood pressure variability may be a potential predictor for macrovascular and microvascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Sex-related short-term blood pressure variability differences in kidney transplant recipients.

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) display higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality than the general population. Increased short-term blood pressure variability (BPV) is associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study is to investigate sex differences in short-term BPV in KTRs. In total, 136 male and 69 female KTRs with valid 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were included in this analysis. Systolic and diastolic BPV indices [SD, weighted SD (wSD), coefficient of variation (CV), average real variability (ARV) and variability independent of the mean (VIM)] were calculated with validated formulas for the 24 h, daytime and nighttime periods. Age, time from transplantation surgery and history of major comorbidities did not differ between men and women. During the 24-h period, systolic BPV indices did not differ between men and women (SBP-ARV: 9.4 ± 2.2 vs. 9.9 ± 2.5; P = 0.212). During the daytime period, SBP-CV and SBP-VIM were significantly higher in females compared with male participants (SBP-CV: 9.9 ± 2.4 vs. 11 ± 3.1%; P = 0.022 and SBP-VIM: 12.6 ± 3.0 vs 14.2 ± 3.9; P = 0.008); daytime SBP-SD and SBP-ARV, and all studied indexes during nighttime did not differ between groups. No significant between-group differences in 24 h and daytime diastolic BPV indices were detected. Nighttime DBP-CV was marginally higher in men (12.0 ± 3.6 vs. 11.4 ± 4.0; P = 0.053); the rest nighttime diastolic BPV indices measured were also nonsignificantly higher in men. In conclusion, 24-h systolic and diastolic BPV parameters did not differ between male and female KTRs, but short-term BPV over the respective day- and nighttime periods showed different trends in men and women. Further studies are needed to examine possible differences in long-term BPV in KTRs.

Association between Twenty-Four-Hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure Variability and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Objective This study is aimed at investigating the association between the twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure variability monitoring (ABPM) and cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) burden in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. Methods 115 AIS patients with demographics, vascular risk factors, 24 h ABPM, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were retrospectively enrolled. 3.0 T MRI was used to assess cSVD burden by combining four MRI markers including white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), perivascular spaces (PVS), and lacunes. Correlation analysis was conducted to detect whether ABPM was associated with cSVD burden in AIS patients. Results 115 AIS patients with mean age 68.77 ± 10.26 years and 75.7% male were enrolled in this study. 112 AIS patients (97.4%) had at least one cSVD marker. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that hypertension was positively correlated with cSVD burden (ρ = 0.21, P = 0.07). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) was negatively correlated with cSVD burden (ρ = −0.21, P = 0.02). Blood pressure variability such as 24 h mean SBP (ρ = 0.23, P = 0.01), day mean SBP (ρ = 0.23, P = 0.01), and night mean SBP (ρ = 0.20, P = 0.04) was positively correlated with higher cSVD burden. Ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrated that higher 24 h SBP SD and day mean SBP were independent risk factors for cSVD after controlling for other confounders. Conclusions Higher BPV was significantly related to total cSVD burden in AIS patients. 24 h SBP SD and day mean SBP were independent risk factors for cSVD burden in AIS patients but not DBP or DBP variability.

The baseline and repeated measurements of DBP to assess in-hospital mortality risk among critically ill patients with acute myocardial infarction: A retrospective cohort study.

Changes in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) are common in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The relationship between the dynamic change of DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the importance of DBP during disease development among patients with AMI. We performed a retrospective cohort study involving patients from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database, which included > 40,000 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Overall, 3209 adult AMI admissions were identified. We extracted the clinical and laboratory information in the patients with AMI. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the prognostic values of baseline DBP. We used the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) to compare trends in DBP over time among survivors and non-survivors, after adjusting for potential confounders. During the ICU stay, 189 patients died (mortality rate, 6.36%). The age of each non-survivor together with the variations in DBP over time from admission to the time of death is of great importance to the scientific community. Cox multivariable regression analysis displayed that after adjusting for confounding factors, ascended baseline DBP was an important hazard factor for hospital deaths (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.03; P = .003). Based on GAMM, DBP in the death group was markedly lower than that of the surviving group. Moreover, the difference between the two groups showed an increasing trend within 3 days after ICU admission. After adjusting for various variables, the results were stable. DBP significantly contributed to in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI. There was a nonlinear correlation between baseline DBP and in-hospital mortality among patients with AMI, and the DBP of the non-survivors decreased within the first 3 days after ICU admission. However, the causality cannot be deduced from our data.

Is there a characteristic pattern of ambulatory blood pressure profile in type 1 diabetic children and adolescents?

To examine the characteristics of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) including blood pressure variability (BPV) and its association with albuminuria in type 1 diabetic (T1D) children and to identify potential predictors of high-normal albuminuria and microalbuminuria. ABP monitoring was performed in 201 T1D children and adolescents (mean age, 14.7±3.8 years) with T1D duration over 1 year. The level of albuminuria was assessed as the albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) and patients were further classified as low-normal, high-normal or microalbuminuria. Fifteen T1D children (7.5%) were hypertensive using office blood pressure (BP) and 10 (5%) according to ABP. T1D subjects had elevated 24-hour systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) (+0.2 and + 0.3 standard deviation score [SDS]) and nighttime SBP and DBP (+0.6 and +0.8 SDS) compared to reference values. Patients with microalbuminuria had significantly higher 24-hour, daytime and nighttime DBP compared to normoalbuminuric subjects. There was a high percentage of nondippers (74.1%). Nighttime diastolic BPV was significantly higher in subjects with high-normal compared to low-normal albuminuria (p=0.01). A weak correlation was found between ACR and daytime DBP SDS (r=0.29, p<0.001 and nighttime DBP SDS (r=0.21, p=0.003). Age and nighttime diastolic BPV were predictors of high-normal albuminuria while nighttime DBP was a strong predictor for microalbuminuria. T1D children have impaired BP regulation although most of them do not fulfill the criteria for sustained hypertension. There is an association between diastolic ABP and diastolic BPV with rising levels of albuminuria pointing to a clear connection between BP and incipient diabetic nephropathy.

A Shift of the Parameters of the Cardiovascular System in Adolescents during the Period from 2004 to 2020 as a Result of Modification of Educational Environment

The purpose of our study was to search for possible changes in the parameters of the cardiovascular system in adolescents during the period from 2004 to 2020 against the background of the introduction of digital technologies into the educational environment. Methods: A comparative analysis of the parameters of the cardiovascular system in female and male adolescents aged from 13.9 to 15.4 years was carried out (57 adolescents in 2004 and 53 adolescents in 2020). We used a spiroartheriocardiorythmograph allowing recording of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) and spectral parameters of HR variability and variability of systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) BP. The parameters were recorded at rest in the sitting position for over two min. All studies were performed during school hours in February-March. Results: An increase in the mean sBP values and an increase in the proportion of adolescents with BP in the

Associations between locus coeruleus MRI contrast and physiological responses to acute stress in younger and older adults

Acute stress activates the brain’s locus coeruleus (LC)-noradrenaline system. Recent studies indicate that a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based measure of LC structure is associated with better cognitive outcomes in later life. Yet despite the LC’s documented role in promoting physiological arousal during acute stress, no studies have examined whether MRI-assessed LC structure is related to arousal responses to acute stress. In this study, 102 younger and 51 older adults completed an acute stress induction task while we assessed multiple measures of physiological arousal (heart rate, breathing rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, sympathetic tone, and heart rate variability, HRV). We used turbo spin echo MRI scans to quantify LC MRI contrast as a measure of LC structure. We applied univariate and multivariate approaches to assess how LC MRI contrast was associated with arousal at rest and during acute stress reactivity and recovery. In older participants, having higher caudal LC MRI contrast was associated with greater stress-related increases in systolic blood pressure and decreases in HRV, as well as lower HRV during recovery from acute stress. These results suggest that having higher caudal LC MRI contrast in older adulthood is associated with more pronounced physiological responses to acute stress. Further work is needed to confirm these patterns in larger samples of older adults.

Influence of posttraumatic blood pressure variability on post-traumatic stress disorder

To investigate the relationship between blood pressure variability (BPV) and incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in trauma patients. Patients admitted to the department of emergency medicine of the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University for acute trauma from January 2018 to December 2021 were enrolled. The clinical data and blood pressure at admission (T1), 10 minutes before anesthesia (T2), 60 minutes after surgery (T3), and 24 hours after surgery (T4) were collected. Coefficient of variation of blood pressure variation [CV-BP, including coefficient of variation of systolic blood pressure (CV-SBP), coefficient of variation of diastolic blood pressure (CV-DBP), coefficient of variation of mean arterial pressure (CV-MAP)] and its quartile were calculated. Patients were divided into Q1 group (CV-MAP ≤ 7.27), Q2 group (7.27 < CV-MAP ≤ 9.50), Q3 group (9.50 < CV-MAP ≤ 14.05) and Q4 group (CV-MAP > 14.05) according to CV-MAP quartile. The PTSD symptoms of the patients were evaluated using the PTSD scale (PCL-5) one month later, and the patients were divided into the PTSD group and the non-PTSD group according to whether PCL-5 score higher than 38. Then the differences of the above indicators were compared and analyzed. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between each index and PCL-5 score; the risk factors of PTSD were analyzed by univariate binary Logistic regression. Variables with P < 0.05 were included in the multivariate binary Logistic regression model. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was drawn to analyze the predictive value of CV-MAP on the incidence of PTSD. A total of 112 patients were enrolled, including 24 in PTSD group and 88 in non-PTSD group. Compared with non-PTSD group, the proportion of women, T1 shock index, proportion of intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusion in PTSD group was higher. Besides, PTSD group also had longer PT, more intraoperative and postoperative blood transfusion, and lower postoperative hemoglobin (Hb) level (all P < 0.05). The T1 SBP, DBP, MAP and T4 MAP of patients in PTSD group were significantly lower than those in non-PTSD group [T1 SBP (mmHg, 1 mmHg ≈ 0.133 kPa): 105.0 (86.3, 121.3) vs. 122.0 (112.0, 132.8), T1 DBP (mmHg): 62.5 (50.0, 77.3) vs. 76.0 (68.5, 82.8), T1 MAP (mmHg): 77.8 (60.4, 91.3) vs. 93.3 (82.5, 99.0), T4 MAP (mmHg): 83.8±9.1 vs. 88.7±10.4, all P < 0.05], CV-SBP, CV-DBP and CV-MAP were higher than those in the non-PTSD group [CV-SBP: 12.80 (10.12, 19.16) vs. 9.30 (6.07, 12.95), CV-DBP: 16.62±6.47 vs. 12.40±5.61, CV-MAP: 14.10 (9.25, 18.85) vs. 8.90 (6.93, 13.29), all P < 0.05]. Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between CV-MAP and PCL-5 scores in patients with acute trauma (r = 0.429, P < 0.001); multivariate binary Logistic regression analysis showed that only CV-MAP [odds ratio (OR) = 1.128, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.015-1.254, P = 0.025] and CV-DBP (OR = 1.114, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.016-1.221, P = 0.022) was the risk factor for PTSD in acute trauma patients. Compared with Q1 group, Q4 group was significantly more likely to develop PTSD (OR = 18.6, 95%CI was 1.9-179.1, P = 0.012). CV-SBP, CV-DBP and CV-MAP had certain predictive value on PTSD diagnosis in patients with acute trauma according to ROC curve analysis results [area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.713, 0.682 and 0.726, respectively], among which CV-MAP has the highest predictive value. When the cut-off value of CV-MAP was 12.158, the sensitivity was 75.0% and the specificity was 69.3%. Higher BPV after trauma is a risk factor for PTSD. Maintaining stable blood pressure in trauma patients is of great significance for prevention and treatment of PTSD.

The genetic architecture of blood pressure variability: A genome-wide association study of 9370 participants from UK Biobank.

Long‐term blood pressure variability (BPV) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and stroke. However, its genetic architecture is not fully understood. This study aims to explore its genetic factors and provide more evidence on the mechanisms and further pathological study of BPV. The genome‐wide association study (GWAS) is based on the UK Biobank cohort. There were four data collection rounds from 2006 to 2020, and 9370 participants with more than three blood pressure measurements were included. They had a median age of 55 and a male percentage of 50.1%. The phenotypes (BPV) were calculated by four methods and the genetic data contains 6 884 260 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) after imputation and quality control. A linear regression model was performed with adjustments for sex, age, genotype array, and a significant principal component. Subgroup analysis was performed on hypertension‐free participants. The significant and suggestive significant P thresholds were set as 5 × 10−8 and 1 × 10−6. Six genetic loci (BAD, CCDC88B, GPR137, PLCB3, RPS6KA4 for systolic BPV, and WWC2 for diastolic BPV) were identified by coding region SNPs at the suggestive significant P threshold (1 × 10−6). Among them, gene CCDC88B and RPS6KA4 reached the significant P threshold (5 × 10−8), with the strongest signal of SNP rs1229536170 (P = 6.36 × 10−8, β = –.29). The annotation results indicate that genes CCDC88B, GPR137, RPS6KA4, and BAD are associated with long‐term SBPV. Their functions of inflammation, epithelial dysfunction, and apoptosis are related to artery stiffness, which was reported as potential mechanisms of BPV.

Association between blood pressure control status, visit-to-visit blood pressure variability, and cognitive function in elderly Chinese: A nationwide study.

BackgroundCognitive function is a concern among the elderly, which is related to the quality of life, life expectancy, and economic burdens. The relationship between blood pressure (BP) control status, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function remains controversial.MethodsWe aimed to explore the association between BP control status at baseline, visit-to-visit BP variability, and cognitive function. This study included 3,511 elderlies in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, covering four waves for 7-year follow-up (baseline 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2018). BP was measured in Wave 2011, 2013, and 2015. Cognitive function was measured by Mini-Mental State Exam in Wave 2018. Participants were divided into two groups: mid-old group for reflecting midlife BP and cognition (45–59 years at baseline but aged 60 or over in Wave 2018), and old-old group for reflecting late-life BP and cognition (aged 60 or over at baseline). We use univariate analysis and general linear model to analyze.ResultsLate-life BP showed stronger associations with cognitive function than midlife BP. As to late-life BP control status, controlled hypertension group get higher cognitive score than uncontrolled hypertension group in language (adjusted β = −0.34, 95%CI −0.68 to 0.00), and untreated hypertension group in orientation (adjusted β = −0.41, 95%CI −0.72 to −0.11), language (adjusted β = −0.35, 95%CI −0.67 to −0.04), and total (adjusted β = −0.99, 95%CI −1.85 to −0.12). Regarding visit-to-visit BP variability, midlife visit-to-visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) variability was associated with language (adjusted β = −3.70, 95% CI −5.83 to −1.57), while late-life visit-to-visit SBP variability was associated with orientation (adjusted β = −2.99, 95% CI −4.84 to −1.14), recall (adjusted β = −1.69, 95% CI −2.89 to −0.48), language (adjusted β = −2.26, 95% CI −4.13 to −0.38), and total (adjusted β = −9.50, 95% CI −14.71 to −4.28); Midlife diastolic blood pressure (DBP) variability and pulse pressure (PP) variability showed a significant relationship with language (adjusted β = 3.25, 95% CI −1.31 to −5.19) and calculation (adjusted β = −0.26, 95% CI −0.47 to −0.04), respectively. No significant correlation was found between midlife BP control status, late-life visit-to-visit DBP variability, late-life visit-to-visit PP variability, and cognitive score. There was no significant correlation between BP and memory.ConclusionsBP control status and visit-to-visit BP variability were significantly related to cognitive function among the Chinese elderly. Receiving effective late-life antihypertensive treatment and keeping SBP stable might contribute to prevent the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, especially for orientation and language function.

Effect of patient gender on short-term blood pressure variability in hemodialysis patients.

Increased bloodpressurevariability(BPV) is strongly associated with cardiovascular events in end-stagekidneydisease patients. Male hemodialysis patients present higher cardiovascular risk compared with females. The aim of this study is to investigate sexdifferences in short-term BPV in hemodialysis patients. 129 male and 91 female hemodialysis patients that underwent 48-h ABPM were included in this analysis. Standarddeviation(SD), weightedSD(wSD), coefficientofvariation(CV), and averagerealvariability(ARV) of SBPandDBP were calculated with validated formulas. Age, dialysis vintage and history of major comorbidities did not differ between men and women. 48-h SBP/DBP(137.2 ± 17.4/81.9 ± 12.1 mmHg vs 132.2 ± 19.2/75.9 ± 11.7 mmHg, p = 0.045/<0.001) was significantly higher in men than women. During the 48-h period, all systolic BPV indices were similar between men and women(48-h SBP-ARV: 12.0 ± 2.9 vs 12.1 ± 3.2 mmHg, p = 0.683); 48-h DBP-SD, DBP-wSD and DBP-ARV(9.1 ± 1.6 vs 8.4 ± 1.8 mmHg, p = 0.005) were higher in men. In conclusion, short-term diastolic BPV indices are higher in male than female hemodialysis patients. Increased BPV may impact on the higher incidence of cardiovascular events observed in male hemodialysis patients.

Within-Visit Blood Pressure Variability and All-Cause and Stroke Mortality: Thai Epidemiologic Stroke Study

Introduction: The association between within-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) and all-cause and stroke mortality remains uncertain. The aim of our study was to assess the association of within-visit BPV with all-cause and stroke mortality. Methods: The study was conducted among participants from Thai Epidemiologic Stroke Study, which is a prospective community-based cohort study that recruited participants from the general population from five regions of Thailand. This study included 19,614 participants aged 45–80 years, who were free of stroke and had three blood pressure (BP) measurements, taken 1 min apart, at baseline. Within-visit systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) variability were expressed as the maximum absolute difference (MAD) between any two readings among the three repeated sequential measurements of SBP and DBP, respectively. The participants were followed up for mortality. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the association of within-visit BPV with all-cause and stroke mortality. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals were used to illustrate the associations. Sensitivity analysis restricted to participants with mean SBP above 130 mm Hg and mean DBP above 90 mm Hg (n = 1,895) was performed. Results: During a median follow-up of 11.1 years, 305 participants died of stroke, and 3,173 participants died of nonstroke cause. In unadjusted analyses, high within-visit MAD of SBP was significantly associated with all-cause (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.09–1.31; p < 0.001) and stroke mortality (HR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.35–2.59; p < 0.001); high within-visit MAD of DBP was also significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08–1.31; p < 0.001), in quartile 4 versus quartile 1. These associations did not persist after further adjustment for sex, age, and other potential confounders including mean BP. However, sensitivity analysis showed some inconsistent results regarding associations of within-visit MAD of SBP and DBP with all-cause and stroke mortality, respectively. Conclusion: In general population, within-visit systolic BPV and within-visit diastolic BPV do not have prognostic significance on stroke mortality and all-cause mortality, respectively.