Archief Roodbont

Interarm BP difference may predict CV risk

8 August 2007

MedWire News: Detection of a difference in blood pressure (BP) between arms may identify hypertensive patients at increased risk for cardiovascular (CV) events, UK researchers say.

Patients' BP measurements often differ between each arm, a phenomenon known as the "interarm difference" (IAD), explain Christopher Clark and colleagues in the Journal of Human Hypertension.

Having found evidence suggesting that the IAD is caused by peripheral artery disease - a strong predictor of CV disease - the researchers hypothesized that IAD could also have prognostic value in predicting CV events.

The team studied the relationship between IAD and new episodes of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular events, onset of angina, and peripheral vascular disease or death in 247 hypertensive patients.

Fifty-seven (23%) patients had a mean difference in systolic (S)BP between arms of at least 10 mmHg, while eight (3%) patients had a mean IAD in SBP of at least 20 mmHg.

Meanwhile, 15 (6%) patients had a mean IAD in diastolic BP of at least 10 mmHg.

Over 4.7 years follow-up, those with a ≥10mmHg-IAD in SBP had a shorter mean survival time without CV event or death compared with those with a <10 p="0.001)." hr="2.8," value="Free abstract http://www.nature.com/jhh/journal/v21/n8/abs/1002209a.html" type="hidden">J Hum Hypertens 2007; 21: 633-638