Age dependency of peripheral and central systolic blood pressures: cross-sectional and longitudinal observations in a Chinese population

Abstract

Few studies have described the age-related changes in both peripheral and central systolic blood pressures (SBPs) in populations. We addressed this issue in 1066 women and 978 men, all untreated (mean age, 45.1 years; 27.2% hypertensive) and randomly selected from a Chinese population, of whom 369 and 330 underwent a repeat examination after 3.6 years (median). In cross-sectional analyses, central SBP increased more with age than peripheral SBP in women below age 50 (1.21 vs. 1.01 mm Hg per year; Po0.001) and in men below age 60 (0.73 vs. 0.48 mm Hg per year; Po0.001), whereas in older women (0.64 vs. 0.58 mm Hg per year; P¼0.27) and older men (0.45 vs. 0.44 mm Hg per year; P¼0.79), the slopes of central and peripheral SBPs on age were similar. Compared with men, women had steeper (Po0.001) age-related increases in peripheral and central SBPs. Systolic augmentation pressure increased with age, but this increase was substantially smaller (Po0.0001) for peripheral than central augmentation (women, 0.086 vs. 0.45 mm Hg per year; men, 0.083 vs. 0.39 mm Hg per year). In multivariable-adjusted regression, age contributed X89.7% of the explained variance in peripheral and central SBPs. In longitudinal analyses, the annual percentage increases from baseline to follow-up in peripheral and central SBP were similar (PX0.76) in both women (2.14% vs. 2.16 % per year) and men (1.33% vs. 1.34 % per year; P-values for sex difference p0.044). In conclusion, in younger subjects assessed cross-sectionally, the age-related increase was larger for central than peripheral SBP, whereas the corresponding cross-sectional estimates in older subjects and the longitudinal estimates in all subjects showed similar age-related increases in central and peripheral SBP.

24-h ambulatory recording of aortic pulse wave velocity and central systolic augmentation: a feasibility study

“…Moreover, the transfer function implemented in the SphygmoCor software has been extensively validated in invasive studies. [3][4][5] The age-related changes in peripheral and central blood pressures in large population studies, 16,17 as recorded by the SphygmoCor, ran a course as predicted by the physiological principles underlying systolic Ambulatory assessment of arterial stiffness L Luzardo et al augmentation 15 and constitute a large body of evidence validating this approach over and beyond the available invasive studies. [3][4][5] Reference values for the central hemodynamic variables as obtained by the SphygmoCor are available for Asians, 18 Blacks of native African origin, 19 and Europeans.…”

3.1 Outcome-Driven Thresholds for Ambulatory Pulse Pressure in 9938 People Recruited From 11 Populations

“…37 Third, we had no information on central pulse pressure. As demonstrated in Europeans 38 and Chinese, 39 with advancing age, systolic augmentation increases and pressure amplification, the difference between peripheral and central systolic blood pressure, decreases. By measuring pulse pressure at a peripheral site, we might have underestimated its prognostic significance, in particular in younger people.…”

Age-specificity of blood-pressure-associated complications

“…Digit and number preference provide information on the quality of auscultatory blood-pressure readings. 6 Diastolic and mean arterial pressures are similar throughout the arterial bed, whereas systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure are subject to systolic augmentation when the forward and reflected pressure waves collide in the central elastic arteries, a phenomenon that substantially increases with ageing. 6 Central systolic augmentation is a risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction.…”

“…6 Diastolic and mean arterial pressures are similar throughout the arterial bed, whereas systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure are subject to systolic augmentation when the forward and reflected pressure waves collide in the central elastic arteries, a phenomenon that substantially increases with ageing. 6 Central systolic augmentation is a risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction. To what extent the technique of office blood-pressure measurement and systolic augmentation 6 influenced findings is unknown.…”

“…6 Central systolic augmentation is a risk factor for stroke and myocardial infarction. To what extent the technique of office blood-pressure measurement and systolic augmentation 6 influenced findings is unknown.…”