Systolic inter-arm blood pressure difference and subclinical atherosclerosis: a population-based cohort study of 29 921 individuals
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Inter-arm blood pressure differences (IABPDs) can be caused by atherosclerosis. We investigated 29 921 men and women aged 50-64 years from the nationwide population-based Swedish CArdio Pulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) to evaluate if IABPD is related to risk factors for atherosclerosis and can be used as a marker of atherosclerosis as evaluated by coronary artery calcium score, arterial segment involvement score on computed tomography, carotid ultrasound, and ankle-brachial index (ABI). The overall prevalence of systolic IABPD at least 10 mmHg was 2110/29 921 (7.1%). Individuals with IABPD at least 10 mmHg were significantly ( P < 0.001) older, more often women, had higher BMI, nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, SBP and DBPs, and were more likely to have diabetes. In unadjusted analyses, IABPD at least 10 mmHg was associated with presence of coronary atherosclerosis, with more carotid arteries with plaque, and with pathological ABI. These associations were largely attenuated after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors (age, sex, nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic BP, smoking, diabetes, and the use of BP lowering drugs). Only ABI retained significance after these adjustments. In conclusion, a systolic IABPD of at least 10 mmHg in middle aged men and women is common in the general population, and can be used as a screening tool for subclinical atherosclerotic changes in coronary, carotid, and lower extremity arteries. However, these relationships were largely explained by correlations between IABPD and traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Source: Journal of Hypertension
Authors: Anders Gottsäter, Ardwan Dakhel, Stefan Acosta, Pontus Andell, Jonas Andersson, Oskar Angerås, Johan-Emil Bager, John Brandberg, Mattias Brunström, Kerstin Cederlund, Jan Engvall, Frank Flachskampf, Tomas Jernberg, Andrei Malinovschi, Jonas Oldgren, Carl Johan Östgren, Helene Rietz, Caroline Schmidt, Johan Sundström, Stefan Söderberg, Magnus Wijkman, Gunnar Engström, Fredrik H. Nyström
Institutions: Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Umeå University, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Region Västra Götaland, Linköping University, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, UNSW Sydney, The George Institute for Global Health
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4416738404