Relation between ascending aortic pressures and outcomes in patients with angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease.

We prospectively followed 324 men, who underwent coronary angiography, for 1,161 +/- 418 days. We analyzed the association between ascending aortic pressures measured during cardiac catheterization and the risk of all-cause mortality and a combined end point of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, stroke, or death. Pulse pressure significantly predicted MACEs (hazard ratio [HR] per 10 mm Hg increase 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.002 to 1.17, p = 0.04). Diastolic blood pressure (BP) inversely correlated with the risk of MACEs (HR per 10 mm Hg increase 0.85, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.98, p = 0.02). These correlations remained significant after adjusting for other predictors and potential confounders. The association between lower diastolic BP with the risk of MACEs was more pronounced in patients with triple-vessel coronary artery disease (p for interaction = 0.03). Peripheral diastolic BP (but not pulse pressure) correlated inversely with the risk of MACEs (HR 0.87 per 10 mm Hg increase, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.998, p = 0.047). Aortic pulse pressure significantly predicted death (HR per 10 mm Hg increase 1.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.33, p = 0.004), and aortic diastolic BP correlated inversely with the risk of death (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.62 to 0.94, p = 0.01).