Abstract:
Arterial stiffness and blood pressure (BP) increase with aging and are independently related to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk; yet the relationship remains misunderstood. Arterial stiffness is measured using the gold standard of carotid femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Likewise, a novel measure of 24-hour central ambulatory blood pressure (cAMBP) has emerged allowing clinicians to examine the central load at the aorta, while identifying “non-dippers” at greater CVD risk, or those who experience a BP decline of <10mmHg from their daytime mean. Due to a lack of research on cAMBP and aortic stiffness, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and arterial stiffness in apparently healthy dippers and non-dippers. 48 apparently healthy adults were tested (mean age 63.7 ± 9.1 years). Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between aortic stiffness and brachial and central mean pressures. Unpaired t-tests were used to examine relationships between aortic stiffness in dippers and non-dippers, with P<0.05 set for significance. Positive relationships were found between aortic stiffness and 24-hr central SBP, and nighttime cMAP. Non-dippers
experienced significantly higher aortic stiffness than dippers, yet there were no differences in brachial and central ambulatory measurements between groups. No relationship was found between 24-hr cPP and aortic stiffness, regardless of time of day. Our findings suggest that cAMBP monitoring provides valuable implications on disease prevalence in older, apparently healthy adults in regard to aortic stiffening. These findings are clinically relevant as cAMBP, during both the day and night, may provide additional preemptive screening on those at risk for various chronic diseases.
