Highlights
- •Relationships of short-term BP variation with vasodilator function were explored.
- •Measures of BP variation were significantly associated with vasodilator function.
- •Inverse associations for rate of BP variation were largely explained by age and BP.
- •Night time BP dip was independently positively associated with smooth muscle function.
Abstract
Background
Characteristics of short-term blood pressure (BP) variation may influence cardiovascular
disease risk via effects on vascular function.
Objective
In a cross-sectional study of a group of treated hypertensive and untreated largely
normotensive subjects we investigated the relationships of measures of short-term
BP variation with brachial artery vasodilator function.
Methods
A total of 163 treated hypertensive (n = 91) and untreated largely normotensive (n = 72) men and women were recruited from the general population. Measures of systolic
and diastolic BP variation were calculated from 24 h ambulatory BP assessments and
included: (i) rate of measurement-to-measurement BP variation (SBP-var and DBP-var);
and (ii) day-to-night BP dip (SBP-dip and DBP dip). Endothelium-dependent vasodilation
was assessed as flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and endothelium-independent vasodilation
was assessed in response to glyceryl trinitrate (GTN). Relationships were explored
using univariate and multivariate linear regression.
Results
The relationships of brachial artery vasodilator function with BP variation were not
significantly different between treated hypertensive and untreated subjects, therefore
these groups were combined for analysis. In univariate analysis, higher SBP-var (P < 0.001) and lower DBP-dip (P = 0.004) were associated with lower FMD; and higher SBP-var (P = 0.002) and lower SBP-dip (P = 0.003) and DBP-dip (P = 0.001) were associated with lower GTN-mediated dilation. In multivariate analysis,
lower SBP-dip (P = 0.007) and DBP-dip (P = 0.03) were independently associated with lower GTN response.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that a lower day-to-night BP dip is independently associated
with impaired smooth muscle cell function. Although rate of BP variation was associated
with measures of endothelial and smooth muscle cell function, relationships were attenuated
after accounting for age and BP.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
December 10,
2013
Received in revised form:
November 26,
2013
Received:
September 4,
2013
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
