title: Pulse pressure measured by home blood pressure monitoring and its correlation to left ventricular mass index.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Measure the systolic (SP), diastolic (DP) and pulse pressure (PP) using home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and correlate its values with the left ventricular mass index (LVMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2004, 127 individuals underwent HBPM in a private clinic. A total of 83 of these also underwent an echocardiographic study in a period shorter than 6 months. After excluding those with dilated or ischaemic cardiomyopathy and those with mitral or aortic valvopathies, 72 patients were evaluated for the correlation between SP, DP and PP (SP minus DP) and the LVMI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The group's mean age was 51.9 +/- 17.3 years and the masculine gender represented 43% of their components. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 28.6 +/- 6 kg/m(2) and 53% of the patients were using antihypertensive drugs. The PS and PP correlated positively to the LVMI (r = 0.356; p = 0.002 e r = 0.429; p < 0.001, respectively). There was no correlation between DP and LVMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PS and the PP correlate positively to the LVMI.
authors.affiliation: Real Hospital Português de Beneficência em Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.forename: Audes Magalhães
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Feitosa
authors.forename: Marco Mota
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Giordano Bruno
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Parente
authors.forename: Edgar Guimarães
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Victor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies