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Association between isolated systolic hypertension in young adults and future cardiovascular mortality: three clues prove it

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 36, pages 341–343 (2022)Cite this article

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It is common experience, for physicians managing hypertensive patients, to deal with young individuals with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), that is with elevated office systolic blood pressure (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure within the normal range (DBP < 90 mmHg). These individuals are often young men, tall, with high body mass index (BMI) and relatively high heart rate and stroke volume. Not infrequently they are physically active or involved in competitive sports.

It is not straightforward to take decisions on how to manage such individuals. Are they at increased cardiovascular (CV) risk, such that a pharmacological anti-hypertensive treatment is justified? Or, alternatively, lifestyle changes and longitudinal follow-up should be adviced, given their low absolute CV risk? Furthermore: do they need additional assessment, such as measurement of 24-h BP, central BP or extensive search for organ damage?

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy

    Giacomo Pucci, Rosa Curcio, Marco D’Abbondanza & Gaetano Vaudo

  2. Unit of Internal Medicine, “S.Maria” Terni University Hospital, Terni, Italy

    Giacomo Pucci, Rosa Curcio, Marco D’Abbondanza & Gaetano Vaudo

Authors
  1. Giacomo Pucci
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  2. Rosa Curcio
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  3. Marco D’Abbondanza
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  4. Gaetano Vaudo
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Contributions

GP, RC, MDA, and GV conceived the presented idea, contributed to data extraction, discussed the results and equally contributed to the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Giacomo Pucci.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Pucci, G., Curcio, R., D’Abbondanza, M. et al. Association between isolated systolic hypertension in young adults and future cardiovascular mortality: three clues prove it. J Hum Hypertens 36, 341–343 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-022-00674-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-022-00674-0

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