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European Journal of Heart Failure Advance Access published online on October 27, 2009
European Journal of Heart Failure, doi:10.1093/eurjhf/hfp141
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Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2009. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org.

Normal systolic blood pressure and risk of heart failure in US male physicians

Kathryn A. Britton1,2,*, J. Michael Gaziano1,2,3,4,5 and Luc Djoussé1,2,3,5

1 Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
2 Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology and Research Information Center (MAVERIC), Boston, MA, USA
3 Division of Aging, Boston, MA, USA
4 Division of Preventive Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
5 Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), Boston Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA

* Corresponding author. Tel: +1 857 364 6119, Fax: +1 857 364 4424, Email: kfinnerty{at}post.harvard.edu


  Abstract

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health issue and hypertension is a major predictor of HF. Observational studies have demonstrated a continuous and graded relationship between ‘normal’ systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiovascular disease. However, limited data are available on the relationship between normotensive SBP and the risk of HF.

Methods and results: To test the hypothesis that there is a graded relation between SBP and HF risk among subjects with normal SBP, we used data on 18 876 participants who were healthy and were free of HF at baseline. Incident HF cases were ascertained by annual follow-up questionnaires and validated through a review of medical records. Cox proportional hazard model was used to compute multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Between 1982 and 2008, 1098 cases of HF occurred. There was a 35% increased risk of HF among subjects with SBP 130–139 mmHg compared with people with optimal SBP (<120 mmHg). In addition, there was a linear trend in HF risk across the normal range of SBP.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest a linear relationship between normotensive SBP and HF risk. Strategies to prevent HF, such as lifestyle modification, should be emphasized across all blood pressure ranges.

Key Words: Epidemiology • Heart failure • Blood pressure • Risk factors

Received April 15, 2009; Revised August 26, 2009; Accepted September 11, 2009


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