Abstract:

Aim: Pulse pressure index (PPI) is the ratio of pulse pressure (PP) to systolic blood pressure. PPI measurements yield more reliable and objective data than PP in evaluating arterial stiffness and cardiovascular diseases. It is well known that the presence of vascular disease increases embolism in atrial fibrillation (AF). The present study investigated the relationship between cardioembolic events and mortality with PPI, a predictor of cardiovascular disease, in AF patients. Methods: This study was conducted prospectively between February 2019 and June 2020 in 191 AF patients. The patients were divided into two groups based on the cardiovascular outcomes’ nonpresence (Group 1, n=156) or presence (Group 2, n=35). Results: PPI values of Group 2 were significantly higher than Group 1 (0.38±0.05 and 0.41±0.04, p <0.001). PPI was also independently associated with cardiovascular outcomes after adjusting for potential covariates (OR = 2.82, 95%CI = 1.68 to 4.71, P < 0.001). Additionally, in the ROC analysis, PPI was more powerful in predicting cardioembolic events than PP (AUC= 0.734 vs. 0.661, respectively). Conclusion: PPI is a non-invasive and low-cost physical examination finding that may be used to predict undesirable cardioembolic outcomes and related mortality in AF patients.

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