The relationship between pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure in Chinese patients with essential hypertension

Objective To explore the relationship between aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and pulse pressure in patients with essential hypertension. Methods Three thousand one hundred and fifty six hypertensive patients [mean age: (53.7±11.6) years] were recruited in the cross-section study. Together with standard sphygmomanometric blood pressure measurements, carotid-femoral PWV was measured using a validated automatic device. Aortic PWV was used as an index of large arterial stiffness. Results PWV in patients with pulse pressure(PP)≥60 mm Hg was significantly greater than that in patients with PP60 mm Hg [(12.46±2.46) vs (10.96±1.79)m/s, P0.01]. PP and PWV were positively related to age (PP r=0.396, P=0.000; PWV r=0.531, P=0.000). At any given SBP, PWV significantly decreased with the increase of DBP, whereas at any given DBP there was a significant increase of PWV with the increase of SBP. Conclusion PWV was closely related to PP. The value of PWV was ranked from high to low with isolated hypertension, systolic and diastolic hypertension, isolated diastolic hypertension and normal blood pressure in Chinese patients.