ObjectiveTo investigate the gender difference and influencing factors for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) in elderly patients with primary hypertension receiving anti-hypertensive therapy. MethodsThe clinical data of 560 elderly patients with primary hypertension who received regular anti-hypertensive therapy were retrospectively analyzed, and they were assigned to male group (302 cases) or female group (258 cases) according to patients′ gender. The age, disease course, concurrent diseases, medication, blood biochemical indices, ambulatory blood pressure indices, and arteriosclerosis indices were compared between the two groups. The factors for affecting patients′ baPWV were analyzed. Results(1) The levels of urea nitrogen, creatinine, urea acid, homocysteine, blood potassium, and proportion of concurrent diseases in the male group were higher than those in the female group, whereas the creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), and blood sodium, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL levels, as well as proportion of diuretics use were lower than those in the female group (P＜0.05) (2) The right, left, and mean baPWV in the female group were higher than those in the male group (P＜0.05). (3) The results of linear regression analysis revealed that the mean baPWV positively correlated with age and disease course, and negatively correlated with blood sodium level, systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV) in male elderly patients with primary hypertension (P＜0.05); furthermore, the mean baPWV positively correlated with disease course, triglyceride level, LDL level, nighttime blood pressure reduction rate, diastolic blood pressure variability (DBPV), and morning systolic blood pressure (mSBP), while negatively correlated with urea nitrogen level, Ccr, SBPV, morning diastolic blood pressure in female elderly patients with primary hypertension; in addition, use of diuretics and lipid-regulating drugs could decrease the mean baPWV in elderly female patients with primary hypertension (P＜0.05). ConclusionThere are gender difference in baPWV of elderly patients with primary hypertension receiving anti-hypertensive therapy, and baPWV is higher in women than in men. There are more factors affecting baPWV in female elderly patients with primary hypertension than in male elderly patients with primary hypertension; moreover, the elevations of triglyceride level, LDL level, nighttime blood pressure reduction rate, DBPV, and mSBP are risk factors for the increase of baPWV in female elderly patients with primary hypertension, and use of diuretics and lipid-regulating drugs can decrease baPWV in elderly female patients with primary hypertension.

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