Exercise pulse pressure inversely linked to HF hospitalization

Resting pulse pressure (PP) and exercise PP show different effects on the risk of heart failure (HF) hospitalization in adults, a recent study has shown.

A total of 15,249 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 116 (0.7 percent) were hospitalized for HF over a median follow-up of 112 months.

Higher resting PP showed a significant relationship with an elevated risk of HF hospitalization. In contrast, increased exercise PP was inversely associated with HF hospitalization risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.988, 95 percent confidence interval, 0977‒0.998; p<0.001).

“These findings suggest the importance of considering both resting and exercise-induced PP changes in the assessment and management of HF risk,” the authors said.

This retrospective analysis involved adults referred for treadmill exercise testing between 2003 and 2012. ΔMaximal blood pressure (BP) was defined as BP change from rest to peak exercise. The authors used Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for demographic and clinical variables, to examine the predictive value of PP changes for HF hospitalization.

“PP, the difference between systolic and diastolic BP, is a known predictor of HF,” the authors said. “While high resting PP has been linked to increased HF risk, the implications of exercise-induced PP changes remain less understood.”