Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability, Carotid Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Events in the European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis

• DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.112.107565
• Publication Date: 2012-07-04T20:22:40Z
• Authors: Giuseppe Mancia; Rita Facchetti; Gianfranco Parati; Alberto Zanchetti
• Keywords: Lacidipine

Background— In high-cardiovascular-risk treated hypertensive patients, the incidence of cardiovascular events has been reported to relate visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability. We investigated whether BP variability is prognostically important in mildly moderately patients whom treatment aims at avoiding but also preventing or delaying progression organ damage. Methods and Results— analyzed pooled data from European Lacidipine Study on Atherosclerosis (ELSA), a randomized, double-blind 4-year trial effect lacidipine atenolol echographic carotid intima-media thickness. Visit-to-visit was assessed by coefficient variation SD mean on-treatment systolic (SBP) obtained 6- (clinic BP) 12- (24 hours month intervals, respectively (1521 1264 respectively). multivariable linear regression model, clinic 24-hour SBP, not SBP SD, associated with end-of-treatment Intima-media thickness increased progressively lowest highest quartile (adjusted P for trend=0.046 0.048) along similar quartiles SD. logistic BP, variability, outcomes. Conclusions— outcomes were related ambulatory achieved Thus, when modestly elevated, inconsistency control between visits plays less prognostic role than long-term average levels.