OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of different levels of systolic blood pressure on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

METHODSA total of 5 852 participants was selected with stratified random sampling from the 101 510 workers of Tangshan Kailuan Company who had undergone a physical check-up program. 5 222 of them with integral data were recruited into this survey. According to SBP collected during the 2010-2011 health examination program, the population under observation was divided into four groups:optimal SBP(SBP < 120 mmHg), high-normal blood pressure I period (120 mmHg ≤ SBP < 130 mmHg), high-normal blood pressure II period (130 mmHg ≤ SBP < 140 mmHg)and hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg or SBP < 140 mmHg but antihypertensive drug user). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influence of different levels of systolic blood pressure on baPWV.

RESULTS1) There were 3 132 males and 2 090 females in all the 5 222 participants with an average age of 55.1 years old. Their mean of baPWV was (1 587.57 ± 400.71) cm/s, with the detection rates as 62% (baPWV ≥ 1 400 cm/s). 2)The means of baPWV for the above groups of SBP were 1 322.19, 1 456.27, 1 544.78 and 1 827.77 cm/s, respectively, with detection rates of baPWV ≥ 1 400 cm/s as 26.4% , 49.3% , 64.2% and 88.3% , respectively. 3) Results from the Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that β of SBP was 0.40, only ranking second, on age (0.48). 4) Data from the Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, gender and other risk factors, when compared to optimal SBP, factors as high-normal blood pressure I period, high-normal blood pressure II period and hypertension were risk factors for increasing baPWV, with OR values as 2.70 (95% CI:2.20-3.32), 4.56(95% CI: 3.67-5.67) and 13.51 (95% CI:10.87-16.78), respectively.

CONCLUSIONHigher SBP seemed an independent risk factor for the increase of baPWV.