P6.19 GENDER DIFFERENCES OF ARTERIAL STIFFNESS AND CENTRAL BLOOD PRESSURE IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND THE INFLUENCE OF MENOPAUSE

Abstract

Introduction: In general population women seems to have greater arterial stiffness and central blood pressure(BP), measured by augmentation index (AIx), than men, but in hypertension this condition is poorly studied. Objectives: To evaluate differences of central BP and arterial stiffness between men and women with arterial hypertension and the influence of postmenopausal status. Methods: We studied 128 subjects with stage 1–3 arterial hypertension, mean age 51.1±11 years, 48% males, BP = 141±24/87±13 mmHg, hypertension duration 10.1±8 years. Noninvasive central aortic BP and wave form characteristics (Alx and AIx corrected by heart rate of 75 bpm – Alx75) were synthesized from radial arterial pressure waves (applanation tonometry) by SphygmoCor®. Brachial BP was obtained by an automatic device(OMRON®). Results: Brachial systolic BP was higher (145±26 vs. 136±20 mmHg, p=0.04) and, weight (76.2±14 vs. 86.4±13.2, p<0.01) and height (1.59±0.06 vs. 1.72±0.08, p<0.01) were lower in females than in males. Central systolic BP (137±30 vs 125±23 mmHg, p<0.01), Alx(32.7±9.8 vs 19.5±11.7, p<0.01), Alx75(29.6±6.9 vs 18.0±9.3, p<0.01) were higher in females, even after adjustments for weight, height and systolic BP. Postmenopausal status was present in 70% of females and mean age of menopause beginning was 47.8 years. Women at postmenopausal status older than 48 years showed worse Alx(35.3 ± 9.4) than younger women(26.8 ± 8.9) and also than men(23.2 ± 12.4) at same age(p<0.05). Conclusions: Hypertensive females have higher brachial and central systolic BP than hypertensive males. Arterial stiffness is higher in hypertensive females than in men, at all ages, and in postmenopausal status is worse than in fertile period.