6075Workload adjusted blood pressure response rather than peak systolic blood pressure is associated with increased all-cause mortality in males; results from 7097 treadmill exercise tests
Authors: Hedman K , Cauwenberghs N , Christle J W , Tun A M , Kuznetsova T , Haddad F , Myers J 
Published: October 2019

Background

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) is routinely measured during exercise testing (ET) and is in part determined by cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance. A frequently used threshold for defining hypertensive response to exercise is ≥210 mmHg but this does not account for the fact that SBP is related to workload, via cardiac output.

Purpose

To examine the prognostic implications of considering external workload (METs) adjusted SBP response to exercise.

Methods

We reviewed all symptom-limited treadmill ET in males between 1987 and 2007 at a single centre (inclusion/exclusion criteria detailed in figure 1A). SBP was measured standing at rest and at peak exercise. Workload adjusted BP response with exercise (SBP/MET slope) was calculated as ΔSBP/ΔMET. METs were calculated from peak speed and grade according to the standard American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) formula. Age-predicted peak METs was calculated as: 18 - 0.15 × age. Ten-year Cox proportional hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and adjusted as outlined in figure 1B.

Results

7097 subjects were included, of which 1559 (22%) died within 10 years. Survivors were younger (57.2±10.6 y vs. 64.5±10.3 y, p<0.001) and reached higher % of age-predicted METs (97±33% vs. 82±33%, p<0.001). Survivors had higher peak SBP (181±26 vs. 176±27 mmHg, p<0.001) as well as greater ΔSBP (49±22 vs. 42±22 mmHg, p<0.001), while they had lower SBP/MET slope (7.0±4.4 vs. 8.9±6.5 mmHg/MET, p<0.001). A peak SBP ≥210 mmHg was associated with better survival; 10-yr adjusted HR: 0.76 (0.64–0.88, p<0.001). In contrast, a higher SBP/MET slope was associated with increased mortality (table 1).

Table 1. Ten year adjusted hazard ratios Variable HR (95% CI) P Variable HR (95% CI) P Variable HR (95% CI) P Peak SBP, Q1: 100–159 mmHg REF REF Delta SBP, Q1: 1–29 mmHg REF REF SBP/MET slope, Q1: 0.2–4.2 REF REF Peak SBP, Q2: 160–179 mmHg 0.81 (0.71–0.94) 0.006 Delta SBP, Q2: 30–46 mmHg 0.80 (0.70–0.91) 0.001 SBP/MET slope, Q2: 4.3–6.2 0.95 (0.81–1.12) 0.562 Peak SBP, Q3: 180–199 mmHg 0.68 (0.58–0.78) <0.001 Delta SBP, Q3: 47–61 mmHg 0.76 (0.66–0.88) <0.001 SBP/MET slope, Q3: 6.2–9.1 1.18 (1.01–1.37) 0.032 Peak SBP, Q4: ≥200 mmHg 0.60 (0.51–0.69) <0.001 Delta SBP, Q4: ≥62 mmHg 0.59 (0.50–0.69) <0.001 SBP/MET slope, Q4: ≥9.1 1.40 (1.22– 1.62) <0.001 HR, hazard ratio (adjusted according to figure 1B); SBP, systolic blood pressure; MET, metabolic equivalent of task; Q1–Q4, quartiles (Q1 as reference).

Figure 1

Conclusion

Workload adjusted blood pressure response to exercise in contrast to peak BP response was associated with increased mortality in male patients referred for ET. Of note, reaching a BP of at least 210 mmHg (suggested to define a hypertensive response to exercise) was associated with a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality.

Acknowledgement/Funding

K Hedman was supported by post-doc. grants from the Fulbright Commission, the Swedish Society of Medicine, County Council of Östergötland, Sweden