Central blood pressure reflects left ventricular load, while brachial blood pressure reflects arterial damage

Figures & data

Table I. Characteristics of the study participants.

Variable
Age (years)	59.3 ± 9.9
Male sex (n [%])	451 [63.9]
Waist circumference (cm)	84.2 ± 8.8
Current smoking (%)	27.8
Brachial systolic blood pressure (mmHg)	128.3 ± 18.3
Brachial diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)	73.8 ± 12.2
Brachial mean blood pressure (mmHg)	92.0 ± 13.2
SBP2 (mmHg)	119.7 ± 18.9
Heart rate (beats/min)	63 ± 10
Creatinine (mg/dl)	0.76 ± 0.33
Uric Acid (mg/dl)	5.3 ± 1.3
Fasting plasma glucose (mg/dl)	100 ± 17
Triglycerides (mg/dl)	112 ± 68
High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mg/dl)	63 ± 14
Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (mg/dl)	131 ± 33
Hemoglobin (g/dl)	14.6 ± 1.4
BNP (ng/l)	10.1 ± 5.7
IMT (mm)	0.82 ± 0.16

Values are mean± standard deviation for continuous variables or percentages for categorical variables. SBP2 indicates systolic pressure corresponding to the second systolic peak of the radial pressure waveform; BNP, B-type natriuretic peptide; IMT, intima-media thickness of the carotid artery.

Figure 1. Correlations between B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration (log transformed) and brachial systolic blood pressure (BP; left panel) and BNP concentration (log transformed) and blood pressure corresponding to the radial late systolic peak (SBP2; right panel).

Table II. Univariate correlation analyses of factors associated with B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (IMT).

	Correlation with BNP		Correlation with IMT
Parameter	Coefficient	p	Coefficient	p
Age	0.443	< 0.0001	0.193	< 0.001
Male sex	− 0.182	< 0.0001	− 0.012	0.83
Waist circumference	− 0.021	0.60	0.135	< 0.05
Current smoking	− 0.168	< 0.0001	0.046	0.47
Brachial SBP	0.107	< 0.01	0.260	< 0.0001
SBP2	0.168	< 0.0001	0.251	< 0.0001
Creatinine	0.047	0.21	0.012	0.83
Uric acid	− 0.22	< 0.0001	0.042	0.44
Fasting plasma glucose	0.018	0.63	0.025	0.65
Triglycerides	− 0.150	< 0.0001	0.031	0.57
HDL-cholesterol	0.068	0.072	− 0.035	0.52
LDL-cholesterol	− 0.126	< 0.001	0.114	< 0.05
Hemoglobin	− 0.325	< 0.0001	− 0.017	0.76

SBP indicates systolic blood pressure; SBP2, systolic pressure corresponding to the second systolic peak of the radial pressure waveform; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; LDL, low-density lipoprotein.

Table III. Multivariate regression analysis of factors showing association with B-type natriuretic peptide.

Variables	Standardized coefficient	p
Model I
Age	0.380	< 0.0001
Male sex	− 0.123	< 0.05
Brachial systolic blood pressure	− 0.057	0.54
SBP2	0.179	< 0.05
Creatinine	0.132	< 0.001
Fasting plasma glucose	− 0.042	0.24
Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol	− 0.087	< 0.05
Hemoglobin	− 0.203	< 0.0001
Current smoking	− 0.037	0.32
Model II
Age	0.375	< 0.0001
Male sex	− 0.079	0.10
SBP2	0.128	< 0.001
Creatinine	0.136	< 0.001
Uric acid	− 0.107	< 0.01
Hemoglobin	− 0.212	< 0.0001

Model I, possible risk factors were included in the analysis; Model II, in the exploratory phase, variables included in the analysis were selected using stepwise regression analysis. SBP2 indicates systolic pressure corresponding to the second systolic peak of the radial pressure waveform.

Figure 2. Correlations between the intima-media thickness of the carotid artery (IMT) and brachial systolic blood pressure (BP; left panel) and IMT and blood pressure corresponding to the radial late systolic peak (SBP2; right panel).

Table IV. Multivariate regression analysis of factors showing association with intima-media thickness of the carotid artery.

Variables	Standardized coefficient	p
Model I
Age	0.266	< 0.0001
Male sex	− 0.074	0.24
Waist circumference	0.142	0.02
Current smoking	0.105	0.09
Brachial systolic blood pressure	0.098	0.20
SBP2	0.124	0.09
Creatinine	− 0.006	0.93
Fasting plasma glucose	0.020	0.74
Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol	0.175	< 0.01
Model II
Age	0.274	< 0.0001
Waist circumference	0.138	< 0.05
Brachial systolic blood pressure	0.182	< 0.01
Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol	0.177	< 0.01

Model I, possible risk factors were included in the analysis; Model II, in the exploratory phase, variables included in the analysis were selected using stepwise regression analysis. SBP2 indicates systolic pressure corresponding to the second systolic peak of the radial pressure waveform.