Borderline and definite isolated systolic hypertension were strongly associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease, including increased left ventricular mass and carotid intima-media thickness (P<0.001).
Cross-Sectional (n=2,189)
Is isolated systolic hypertension associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease in elderly adults?
In elderly adults without clinical cardiovascular disease, both borderline and definite isolated systolic hypertension are strongly associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease, including increased left ventricular mass and carotid intima-media thickness.
p-value: p=<0.001
Objective. —To assess the association between isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and subclinical disease in adults aged 65 years and above. Design. —Medicare eligibility lists were used to obtain a representative sample of 5201 community-dwelling elderly persons for the Cardiovascular Health Study, a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute—sponsored cohort study of risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. In this cross-sectional analysis of baseline data, we excluded 3012 participants who were receiving antihypertensive medications, had clinical cardiovascular disease, or had a diastolic blood pressure of at least 90 mm Hg. Main Outcome Measures. —For electrocardiogram: myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, and left ventricular mass as measures of myocardial damage and strain; for echocardiography: left ventricular mass, fractional shortening, and Doppler flow velocities as measures of cardiac systolic and diastolic function; and for carotid sonography: carotid arterial intima-media thickness as a measure of atherosclerosis. Results. —Among the 2189 men and women in this analysis, 195 (9%) had ISH (systolic blood pressure, ≥160 mm Hg) and 596 (23%) had borderline ISH (systolic blood pressure, 140 to 159 mm Hg). Systolic blood pressure was associated with myocardial infarction by electrocardiogram (P=.02). Borderline and definite ISH were strongly associated with left ventricular mass (PPPConclusions. —While cohort analyses of future repeated measures will provide a better assessment of risk, both borderline and definite ISH were strongly related to a variety of measures of subclinical disease in elderly men and women. (JAMA. 1992;268:1287-1291)
B. M. Psaty (1992) conducted a cross-sectional in Isolated systolic hypertension (n=2,189). Isolated systolic hypertension vs. Normotension was evaluated on Measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction by ECG, left ventricular mass, cardiac diastolic function, carotid intima-media thickness) (p=<0.001). Borderline and definite isolated systolic hypertension were strongly associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease, including increased left ventricular mass and carotid intima-media thickness (P<0.001).