title: Effect of eicosapentaenoic acid on central systolic blood pressure.
abstract: Central systolic blood pressure (C-SBP) has been shown to be a better predictor of cardiovascular risk than brachial SBP. In this study, the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on C-SBP were compared with pravastatin. Twenty-four patients with hyperlipidemia were assigned 13 to receive 1800 mg/day EPA (EPA group) and 11 to receive 10 mg/day pravastatin (pravastatin group) for 3 months. In the EPA group, there were no changes in the LDL-cholesterol level. However, the radial augmentation index (AI) and C-SBP decreased after treatment by 5.7% (p < 0.01) and 8.7% (p < 0.001), respectively. Moreover, systolic and diastolic brachial BPs decreased by 7.1% and 8.0%, respectively (p < 0.01 for both). In the pravastatin group, the LDL-cholesterol level decreased by 29.5% (p < 0.001). However, there were no significant changes in brachial BP, AI and C-SBP between. These results suggested that EPA but not pravastatin may reduce cardiac afterload by reducing vascular reflected waves and lowering C-SBP.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Iketani Clinic, 3-7, Akigawa 1, Akiruno-shi, Tokyo 197-0804 Japan. et@apple.email.ne.jp
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iketani
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takazawa
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamashina
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017035:Pravastatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D017035:Pravastatin