Do Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Severity and Complexity of Coronary Atherosclerosis Predict Aortic Pulse Pressure during Cardiac Catheterization?

Pulse pressure (PP), estimated from the peripheral blood pressure measurements, has been linked with adverse cardiovascular events. But, the association of PP and coronary artery disease is not well studied. There is a lack of data on the association of invasively measured aortic PP and cardiovascular risk factors and severity of coronary atherosclerosis. We determined the predictive factors of aortic PP during cardiac catheterization. Electronic medical records from 2010 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 368 patients were eligible. The data on demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, coronary lesion characteristics, and medication use was collected. On multivariable regression analysis, aging (β = 0.34, p = 0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.53) and prior aspirin use (β = 5.09, p = 0.015, 95% CI 0.99-9.18) were associated with higher aortic PP. Increasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (β = - 0.52, p = 0.040, 95% CI -0.90 to -0.23) was associated with lower aortic PP. Severity and complexity of coronary lesions, SYNTAX score, and number of obstructed vessels were not associated with aortic PP. Aging, prior aspirin use, and declining renal function were associated with an increase in aortic PP. Aortic PP may not predict the severity and complexity of coronary atherosclerosis. Therefore, the risk of adverse cardiovascular events associated with an elevated aortic PP may not be mediated by the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.