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pulse pressure
Normal range: 30-50 mm Hg
Increases:
- aortic insufficiency
- atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries)
- a wider pulse pressure may be associated with increased cardiovascular mortality [2]
Decreases:
- cardiac tamponade
Clinical significance:
- single best blood pressure measure in predicting mortality in older people [4]*
- strong predictor of peripheral arterial disease [3]*
- inverse correlation with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) [3]*
* huge study, adults 30 years or older, 5 years follow-up [3]
* association with AAA may be more with increased diastolic BP than pulse pressure [3]
* lowest mortality with systolic pressure < 130 mm Hg & diastolic pressure 80-89 mm Hg [4]
General
blood pressure (BP)
References
- Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 28th ed, Ewald &
McKenzie (eds), Little, Brown & Co, Boston, 1995, pg 577
- Panagiotakos DB et al,
The relation between pulse pressure and cardiovascular mortality
in 12,763 middle-aged men from various parts of the world:
a 25-year follow-up of the seven countries study.
Arch Intern Med 2005; 165:2142
PMID: 16217005
- Rapsomaniki E et al
Blood pressure and incidence of twelve cardiovascular diseases:
lifetime risks, healthy life-years lost, and age-specific
associations in 1 25 million people.
The Lancet, Volume 383, Issue 9932, pg 1899-1911, 31 May 2014
PMID: 24881994
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2814%2960685-1/abstract#
- Glynn RJ, Chae CU, Guralnik JM et al
Pulse Pressure and Mortality in Older People.
Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(18):2765-2772
PMID: 11025786
http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=485457