LDL cholesterol is associated with systemic vascular resistance and wave reflection in subjects naive to cardiovascular drugs

• Published in: Blood pressure Vol. 28; no. 1; pp. 4 - 14
• Main Authors: Choudhary, Manoj Kumar, Eräranta, Arttu, Tikkakoski, Antti J., Koskela, Jenni, Hautaniemi, Elina J., Kähönen, Mika, Mustonen, Jukka, Pörsti, Ilkka
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.01.2019; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: augmentation index; haemodynamics; hypertension; impedance cardiography; LDL cholesterol; pulse wave analysis; systemic vascular resistance; impedance cardiography; pulse wave analysis; LDL cholesterol; hypertension; augmentation index; haemodynamics; systemic vascular resistance
• DOI: 10.1080/08037051.2018.1521263
• ISSN: 0803-7051; 1651-1999

Background and aim: Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a primary risk factor for atherosclerosis, but it is also associated with elevated blood pressure (BP) and future development of hypertension. We examined the relationship between LDL-C and haemodynamic variables in normotensive and never-treated hypertensive subjects. Methods: We recruited 615 volunteers (19-72 years) without lipid-lowering and BP-lowering medication. Supine haemodynamics were recorded using continuous radial pulse wave analysis, whole-body impedance cardiography, and single channel electrocardiogram. The haemodynamic relations of LDL-C were examined using linear regression analyses with age, sex, body mass index (BMI) (or height and weight as appropriate), smoking status, alcohol use, and plasma C-reactive protein, sodium, uric acid, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index as the other included variables. Results: The mean (SD) characteristics of the subjects were: age 45 (12) years, BMI 27 (4) kg/m 2 , office BP 141/89 (21/13) mmHg, creatinine 74 (14) µmol/l, total cholesterol 5.2 (1.0), LDL-C 3.1 (0.6), triglycerides 1.2 (0.8), and HDL-C 1.6 (0.4) mmol/l. LDL-C was an independent explanatory factor for aortic systolic and diastolic BP, augmentation index, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and systemic vascular resistance index (p < 0.05 for all). When central BP was included in the model for PWV, LDL-C was no longer an explanatory factor for PWV. Conclusions: LDL-C is independently associated with BP via systemic vascular resistance and wave reflection. These results suggest that LDL-C may play a role in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension.