Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a primary risk factor for atherosclerosis, but it is also associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and future development of hypertension. We examined the relationship between LDL-C and haemodynamic variables in normotensive and never-treated hypertensive subjects.
METHODS: We recruited 615 volunteers (19-72 years) without lipid-lowering and BP-lowering medication. Supine haemodynamics were recorded using continuous radial pulse wave analysis, whole-body impedance cardiography, and single channel electrocardiogram. The haemodynamic relations of LDL-C were examined using linear regression analyses with age, sex, body mass index (BMI) (or height and weight as appropriate), smoking status, alcohol use, and plasma C-reactive protein, sodium, uric acid, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index as the other included variables.
RESULTS: The mean (SD) characteristics of the subjects were: age 45 (12) years, BMI 27 (4) kg/m2, office BP 141/89 (21/13) mmHg, creatinine 74 (14) µmol/l, total cholesterol 5.2 (1.0), LDL-C 3.1 (0.6), triglycerides 1.2 (0.8), and HDL-C 1.6 (0.4) mmol/l. LDL-C was an independent explanatory factor for aortic systolic and diastolic BP, augmentation index, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and systemic vascular resistance index (p < 0.05 for all). When central BP was included in the model for PWV, LDL-C was no longer an explanatory factor for PWV.
CONCLUSIONS: LDL-C is independently associated with BP via systemic vascular resistance and wave reflection. These results suggest that LDL-C may play a role in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4-14 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | BLOOD PRESSURE |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 2018 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- LDL cholesterol
- augmentation index
- haemodynamics
- hypertension
- impedance cardiography
- pulse wave analysis
- systemic vascular resistance
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 1