OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of pulse pressure on all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality risks and whether this effect varies with sex and race/ethnicity among adults who participated in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and were followed to December 31, 2006. DESIGN: Cohort/Longitudinal. SETTING: United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality. METHODS: Hazard rates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality associated with the pulse pressure quartiles (Q) were estimated through Cox proportional regression before and after controlling for selected characteristics. RESULTS: Relative to adults with pulse pressure in the first quartile, death rate for all-cause mortality was 29% (95% CL: 1.03, 1.62) and 54% (95% CI: 1.22, 1.95) higher in adults with pulse pressures in Q3 and Q4, respectively, after adjustment for all study covariates. These associations were further observed in Whites and Mexican Americans only. For cardiovascular-specific mortality, the adjusted death rates for Q3 and Q4 were 57% (95% CI: 1.00, 2.44) and 76% (95% Cl: 1.16, 2.67). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pulse pressure could be associated with all-cause and CVD-specific mortality risk among US adults.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of pulse pressure on all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality risks and whether this effect varies with sex and race/ethnicity among adults who participated in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and were followed to December 31, 2006. DESIGN: Cohort/Longitudinal. SETTING: United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: All-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality. METHODS: Hazard rates and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause and cardiovascular-specific mortality associated with the pulse pressure quartiles (Q) were estimated through Cox proportional regression before and after controlling for selected characteristics. RESULTS: Relative to adults with pulse pressure in the first quartile, death rate for all-cause mortality was 29% (95% CL: 1.03, 1.62) and 54% (95% CI: 1.22, 1.95) higher in adults with pulse pressures in Q3 and Q4, respectively, after adjustment for all study covariates. These associations were further observed in Whites and Mexican Americans only. For cardiovascular-specific mortality, the adjusted death rates for Q3 and Q4 were 57% (95% CI: 1.00, 2.44) and 76% (95% Cl: 1.16, 2.67). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pulse pressure could be associated with all-cause and CVD-specific mortality risk among US adults.