Within-subject blood pressure level--not variability--predicts fatal and nonfatal outcomes in a general population.

ABSTRACT: To assess the prognostic significance of blood pressure (BP) variability, we followed health outcomes in a family-based random population sample representative of the general population (n=2944; mean age: 44.9 years; 50.7% women). At baseline, BP was measured 5 times consecutively at each of 2 home visits 2 to 4 weeks apart. We assessed within-subject overall (10 readings), within- and between-visit systolic BP variability from variability independent of the mean, the difference between maximum and minimum BP, and average real variability. Over a median follow-up of 12 years, 401 deaths occurred and 311 participants experienced a fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular event. Overall systolic BP variability averaged (SD) 5.45 (2.82) units, 15.87 (8.36) mmHg, and 4.08 (2.05) mmHg for variability i

SUBMITTER: Schutte R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3607229 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature