Relation between pulse pressure and survival in patients with decompensated heart failure

Elevated pulse pressure (PP), an indicator of increased arterial stiffness, has been shown to predict adverse outcome in patients with stable heart failure. However, the dependence of PP on hemodynamic, factors, such as stroke volume and peak aortic blood flow, suggests that the relation between PP and outcome may depend on the clinical setting. We evaluated the relation between PP and all-cause mortality in 489 patients with decompensated heart failure. We found that the association of PP with outcome in this setting is reversed, with low PIP being an independent predictor of mortality. (C) 2004 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.