Visit-to-visit blood pressure variations: New independent determinants for carotid artery measures in the elderly at high risk of cardiovascular disease

Recently, visit-to-visit variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) has been shown to be a predictor of stroke. In this study, we investigated the relationship of visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variations (based on 12 visits once a month) with intima-media thickness (IMT) and stiffness in common carotid artery among the 201 high-risk elderly (female 75%) at cardiovascular disease. Max-IMT was significantly positively correlated with age, smoking, renin-angiotensin system inhibitor use, coefficient of variation (CV), and delta (maximum-minimum) in SBP, and CV in diastolic BP (DBP) but was significantly negatively correlated with female, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and minimum in SBP. Stiffness parameter β was significantly positively correlated with age, standard deviation (SD), CV, maximum, and delta in SBP, and SD, CV, and delta in DBP but was significantly negatively correlated with smoking, HDL, average, and minimum in DBP. In a multiple regression analysis, delta SBP (P < .001) was associated with max-IMT independently of average SBP. CV (P < .05) and delta (P < .05) in SBP, and CV (P < .001) and delta (P < .01) in DBP were associated with stiffness parameter β independently of average BP. In the high-risk elderly, exaggerated visit-to-visit BP fluctuations were significant indicators for carotid artery atherosclerosis and stiffness independently of average BP.