Assessment of Short-term Blood Pressure Variability in Patients With Ascending Aortic Dilatation.

Background: Blood pressure variability (BPV) is a novel parameter related to adverse cardiovascular findings and events, especially in hypertensive patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between short-term BPV and ascending aortic dilatation (AAD).

Hypothesis: Hypertensive patients with AAD may exhibit higher short-term BPV compared to hypertensive patients with normal diameter ascending aorta and BPV may be correlated with aortic sizes.

Methods: Seventy-six hypertensive patients with AAD and 181 hypertensive patients with a normal-diameter ascending aorta were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Clinical data, echocardiographic characteristics, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring characteristics were compared between the 2 groups. Standard deviation (SD) and Δ of BP were used as parameters of BPV.

Results: Although 24-hour mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were similar between the 2 groups, the SD of SBP and SD of DBP values were significantly higher in AAD patients (17.2 ± 6.8 vs 13.8 ± 3.5, P < 0.01; and 12.1 ± 5.1 vs 10.7 ± 3.1, P = 0.02, respectively). Daytime SD of SBP values were higher in AAD patients, whereas nighttime SD of SBP values did not differ between groups. In multivariate linear regression analysis, 24-hour SD of SBP, 24-hour Δ SBP, daytime SD of SBP, daytime Δ SBP, and left ventricular mass index were independently correlated with aortic size index.

Conclusions: Our study revealed higher levels of short-term BPV in hypertensive patients with AAD. This conclusion warrants further study.