Increased Pulse Pressure and Risk of Heart Failure in the Elderly

Context: Arterial stiffness increases with age. Thus, pulse pressure, an index of arterial stiffening, may predict congestive heart failure (CHF) in the elderly.

Objective: To study prospectively the association between pulse pressure and risk of CHF.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: The community-based East Boston Senior Health Project, East Boston, Mass.

Patients: A total of 1621 men and women (mean [SD] age, 77.9 [5.0] years) free of CHF who had blood pressure measurements taken in 1988-1989 and were followed up for 3.8 years.

Main Outcome Measure: Incidence of CHF as ascertained by hospital discharge diagnosis (n = 208) and death certificates (n = 13).

Results: After controlling for age, sex, mean arterial pressure, history of coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, valvular heart disease, and antihypertensive medication use, pulse pressure was an independent predictor of CHF. For each 10-mm Hg elevation in pulse pressure, there was a 14% increase in risk of CHF (95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.24; P = .003). Those in the highest tertile of pulse pressure (>67 mm Hg) had a 55% increased risk of CHF (P=.02) compared with those in the lowest (<54 mm Hg). Pulse pressure was more predictive than systolic blood pressure alone and was independent of diastolic blood pressure.

Conclusion: Pulse pressure, an easily measurable correlate of pulsatile hemodynamic load, is an independent predictor of risk of CHF in this elderly cohort.