Central blood pressure and pulse wave velocity in young and middle-aged Japanese adults with isolated systolic hypertension

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg and diastolic BP (DBP) <90 mmHg, is a common type of hypertension among young men. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, central blood pressure, and arterial stiffness of young and middle-aged Japanese individuals with ISH. A total of 432 male participants, aged 18–49 years, were classified into six subgroups: optimal BP (SBP <120 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg), high-normal BP (SBP 120–129 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg), high-BP (SBP 130–139 mmHg and/or DBP 80–89 mmHg), ISH (SBP ≥140 mmHg and DBP <90 mmHg), isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) (SBP <140 mmHg and DBP ≥90 mmHg), and systolic and diastolic hypertension (SDH) (SBP ≥140 mmHg and DBP ≥90 mmHg). Participants with ISH had a greater body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference than the optimal BP participants but were more likely to be physically active than the IDH and SDH participants. The central SBP of the ISH subgroup was higher than that of the optimal/high-normal/high-BP subgroups and lower than that of the SDH subgroup. The carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) of the ISH subgroup was higher than that of the optimal and high-normal BP subgroups and lower than that of the SDH subgroup after adjusting for age, heart rate, BMI, and physical activity. These differences disappeared after further adjustment for central mean arterial pressure. In conclusion, the central SBP of Japanese men with ISH was greater than that of Japanese men with optimal/high-normal/high-BP, but the progression of arterial stiffness was unclear.