Correlation between ambulatory blood pressure load and pulse wave velocity in elderly hypertensive patients

Objective To study the correlation between 24 h ambulatory blood pressure load and carotid -radial pulse wave velocity(crPWV)in elderly hypertensive patients.Methods The 24 h ambulatory blood pressure was monitored in 187 elderly primary hypertensive patients.The patients were divided into dipper group(n = 90) and non-dipper group(n = 97) according to their 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and 82 healthy elderly individuals served as a control group.Their 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and crPWV were measured.Results The 24 h,day and nocturnal SBP and DBP load were significantly higher in dipper group and non-dipper group than in control group(P0.01).The nocturnal SBP load and the crPWV were significantly higher in non-dipper group than in dipper group(P0.05).The 24 h and day SBP load and the nocturnal DBP load were the major influencing factors for crPWV after adjustment of sex and age.Conclusion The 24 h SBP load increases while the compliance of conducting arteries decreases in elderly hypertensive patients.The 24 h and nocturnal SBP load and the day DBP load are the major risk factors for the compliance of conducting arteries.