Relation of Pulsatility of Brachial Artery Pressure to Resistant Hypertension

Few studies have examined predictors of resistant hypertension. The aim of this study was to observe the relationship between resistant hypertension and the pulsatility of the brachial artery pressure, which is characterized as pulse pressure/diastolic pressure (PP/DP) and is a simple index of aortic input impedance. We obtained home blood pressure (BP) measurements for 102 patients aged 40-75 years with either office systolic BP (SBP) ≥140 mmHg or office diastolic BP (DBP) ≥90 mmHg. Patients were given a single antihypertensive agent or left untreated during the 2-week baseline period. Thereafter, patients were treated with 1 to 3 antihypertensive drugs for 1 year with a goal of achieving a home BP of less than 135/85 mmHg. At follow-up, 72 patients were taking a single drug with good BP control, 21 were taking two drugs with good BP control, and 9 were taking three drugs with poor BP control. Although office SBP at baseline was similar among the three groups, home morning and evening SBP at baseline in the single drug group were lower than those of the two- or three-drug groups (p <0.01). Although office PP/DP at baseline did not differ among the three groups, home morning and evening PP/DP at baseline were highest in the three-drug group (p <0.01). In multivariate analysis, only mean home PP/DP at baseline was correlated with BP control. There is a correlation between the pulsatility of the brachial artery pressure and the degree of BP control. (Hypertens Res 2004; 27: 641-646)