Arterial stiffness is increased in hypertensive centenarians

Background. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between blood pressure and arterial stiffness in Polish centenarians. Materials and methods. We examined 59 centenarians with the mean age of 101.3 years. Peripheral blood pressure was estimated upon mean value of three measurements and arterial stiffness by pulse wave analysis (PWA). Pressure waveforms were recorded from the radial artery and the waveform data were then processed by SphygmoCor to produce the estimated aortic pressure waveform. All subjects were divided into the three subgroups: normotensives (< 140/ 90 mmHg), systolic hypertensives (ISH, SBP >= 140 and DBP < 90 mmHg) and systolo-diastolic hypertensives (>= 140/90 or treated). Results. The mean values of peripheral BP for the entire group were: 149.5/76.8 mmHg for SBPP/DBPP and 136.1/77.8 mmHg for central SBPC/DBPC, respectively. The mean value of pulse pressures were: 72.7/58.4 mmHg for peripheral (PPP)/central (PPc). Arterial stiffness indices calculated from PWA were: 96.6%, 33.2% and 32.2% for peripheral (AIx(P)), central (AIx(C)) and central normalized for heart rate (AIx(C)75) augmentation indexes, respectively. The PPc was the lowest in the normotensive group (40.1 mmHg) when compared both with the ISH group (71.1 mmHg) and the systolo-diastolic group (58.1 mmHg). The lowest arterial stiffness indices (AIx(P), AIx(C)75) calculated from PWA were found in the normotensive group: 85.4% and 28.5%, comparing with 96.1% and 33.7% in the ISH group and 104.8% and 32.9% for the systolo-diastolic group. Conclusions: In centenarians, similarly to younger subjects, those with hypertension present with arterial stiffness.