Hypertensive Response During Dobutamine Stress Echocardiography: Does it Indicate a Higher Risk of Developing Hypertension?

Background: One of the most common complications associated with dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is abnormal blood pressure (BP) responses. Aims and Objectives: The current investigation aimed to examine the blood pressure responses during DSE and its potential implications on cardiovascular outcomes. Methods: The study enrolled patients who lacked a history of hypertension and diabetes but demonstrated hypertensive response during DSE ( n = 62). An equal number of patients who did not exhibit an increase in BP during the DSE were selected as the control group ( n = 55). Throughout the 4-year clinical follow-up, we monitored the incidence of hypertension, myocardial infarction (MI), hospitalization due to heart disease, death, and stroke. Results: Among those who demonstrated a hypertensive response during DSE, baseline systolic BP ( P = 0.002) and diastolic BP ( P = 0.002) were notably higher compared to the nonhypertensive group. In addition, the hypertensive group received a significantly elevated dosage of dobutamine in comparison to the controls ( P = 0.010). However, no statistically significant variances were observed between the two groups concerning death ( P = 0.600), acute MI ( P > 0.999), chronic hypertension ( P = 0.063), diabetes mellitus ( P = 0.513), and hospitalization ( P = 0.472). Conclusion: In light of our findings, hypertensive responses in patients undergoing DSE do not correlate with subsequent adverse outcomes. While our investigation did not identify a statistically significant difference in hypertension rates, it is essential to note that significance may be achieved with future research involving a larger sample size.