Ambulatory blood pressure and left ventricular mass in older age.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study was to analyse the association of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) to left ventricular mass (LVM) in a population aged over 64 years and to describe the level of ABP in subjects with and without left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in older age.


METHODS
ABP measurement and echocardiography for calculation of LVM were assessed in 490 inhabitants (mean age 70.7 years, range 64-87 years) of a small town in southwestern Finland who were able to visit an outpatient clinic. Explanatory factors associated with LVM were assessed with linear regression analysis. LVH was defined as calculated LVM-index values exceeding 150 g/m2 in men and 120 g/m2 in women adopted from the Framingham Study.


RESULTS
Systolic ABP was significantly associated with LVM. No correlation between diastolic ABP and LVM was found. Other factors independently related to LVM were gender, body mass index and age. The prevalence of echocardiographic LVH was 22%. Subjects with LVH had markedly higher systolic ABP levels than those without LVH (mean (SD) 24-h ABP: 132(16)/75(8) mmHg vs. 123(13)/75(8) mmHg).


CONCLUSIONS
Systolic ABP is associated with LVM in older people. In addition, systolic ABP is superior to diastolic ABP in relation to LVM in the aged.
Wendelin-Saarenhovi
M
M
Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland. marwen@utu.fi
Isoaho
R E
RE
Hartiala
J J
JJ
Helenius
H Y
HY
Kivelä
S L
SL
Löppönen
M K
MK
Puolijoki
H
H
Hietanen
E K
EK
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence