Guiding Hypertension Management Using Central Blood Pressure: Effect of Medication Withdrawal on Left Ventricular Function

BACKGROUND Central blood pressure (BP) is an acknowledged contributor to end-organ damage and independent determinant of prognosis. Primary analysis from the BPGUIDE study demonstrated no detriment on left ventricular (LV) structure from central BP-guided hypertension management, despite significant medication withdrawal. However, the effect of this on LV function has not been investigated. In this study, we sought to investigate the impact of central BP-guided hypertension management on LV systolic and diastolic performance. METHODS A total of 286 enrollees with uncomplicated hypertension were randomized to therapeutic decisions guided by best-practice usual care (UC) or, in addition, by central BP intervention (CBP) for 12 months. Each participant underwent baseline and follow-up 2-dimensional echocardiography, with assessment undertaken by an expert blinded to participant allocation. RESULTS Antihypertensive medication quantity remained unchanged for UC but significantly decreased with intervention. However, no significant between-group differences were noted for changes during follow-up in both brachial and central BP, as well as other central hemodynamic parameters: augmentation index and augmented pressure. Similarly, there were no differences between groups in parameters of LV diastolic function: tissue e′ velocity (δUC vs. ΔCBP; P = 0.27) and E/e′ ratio (ΔUC vs. ΔCBP; P = 0.60), and systolic parameters: LV longitudinal strain (ΔUC vs. ΔCBP; P = 0.55), circumferential strain (ΔUC vs. ΔCBP; P = 0.79), and ejection fraction (ΔUC vs. ΔCBP; P = 0.15). CONCLUSIONS Hypertension management guided by central BP, resulting in significant withdrawal of medication to maintain appropriate BP control, had no adverse effect on LV systolic or diastolic function.