Relationship between 24-hour mean pulse pressure and the cardiac function in the elderly with isolated systolic hypertension

Objective To study the effect of mean pulse pressure during 24 hours on cardiac function in the elderly with isolated systolic hypertension. Methods Seventy two elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension were enrolled to determine mean pulse pressure by monitoring 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure and to analyze the cardiac function by nuclide cardiac blood pool imaging. Results 24 hour mean pulse pressure negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)( r =-0 46, P 0 01), and also with peak filling rate (PFR) ( r =-0 41 , P 0 05). The greater the mean pulse pressure, the worse the cardiac function ( P 0 01). Conclusions The 24 hour mean pulse pressure was an important factor predicting risk for cardiac disfunction in the elderly with isolated systolic hypertension.