title: Pulse pressure and inflammatory markers in apparently healthy premenopausal women.
abstract: Several epidemiological studies showed that pulse pressure (PP), as a marker of large arterial stiffness, is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk. A high pulse pressure may induce lesions of the vessel walls and of the endothelium of the large arteries. Now, inflammation represents one of the most extensively studied pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if usual markers of systemic inflammation were correlated with pulse pressure. In fifty-four apparently healthy premenopausal women, without any known disease, we performed anthropometrical and blood chemistry measurements, together with the standard measurements of blood pressure. Mean values of fibrinogen are significantly more elevated in PP > 50 mmHg group than in PP < 50 mmHg group (364.79 +/- 71.07 vs. 329.31 +/- 57.81, P < 0.05). Fibrinogen was also significantly correlated with PP (r = 0.27, P < 0.05). However, after controlling for age the correlation between PP and fibrinogen was not significant (r = 0.18, P = NS). ESR was significantly correlated with PP (r = 0.31, P < 0.05) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (r = 0.32, P < 0.05) but not with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). After controlling for age the correlation between PP and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was not significant (r = 0.20, P = NS), but after controlling for body mass index (BMI) this correlation became significant (r = 0.28, P < 0.05). White blood cell (WBC) was not correlated with age, SBP, DBP, PP, age and BMI and the mean values of WBC were increased in the PP > 50 mmHg group, but not significantly (6637.93 +/- 1615.19 vs. 6416.67 +/- 1427.57, P = NS). In our study we found that ERS and fibrinogen values are related to pulse pressure values. Otherwise, blood pressure values, including pulse pressure, were correlated with the age of the subjects and the correlation between pulse pressure and inflammatory markers (ESR and fibrinogen) was not significant after controlling for age. After controlling for BMI, the correlation between ESR and PP remains significant.
authors.affiliation: Central Military Hospital, Internal Medicine I Department, 88, Mircea Vulcanescu Str., Bucharest, Romania.
authors.forename: St
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blaj
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jurcut
authors.forename: Ruxandra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jurcut
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stanciu
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sună
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ciobîca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mureşan
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rusu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005340:Fibrinogen