Repeated measures of blood pressure and correlations between systolic pressure, pulse pressure and LV mass: a circular debate?
This month's edition of the Journal contains an interesting contribution from Mule and colleagues from Palermo. The structure of the piece is very simple relating ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measures for systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure to LV mass in hypertensive patients. The technique employed is linear correlation analysis. Pulse pressure is an area of interest of many of the readers, contributors and editorial board of the Journal. This is not a new area nor is this a new approach. The strategy of deriving biological inference from such data relevant to the individual by correlation analysis from a population sample deserves a closer and broader comment.
MacFadyen
R J
RJ
University Department of Medicine, City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. robert.mcfayden@swbh.nhs.uk
Lee
K W
KW
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology