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Abstract: TH-PO446

Plasma Sodium Is Associated with Arterial Stiffness in SPRINT

Session Information

Category: Hypertension and CVD

  • 1401 Hypertension and CVD: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Authors

  • Nowak, Kristen L., University of Colorado Denver: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States
  • Jovanovich, Anna Jeanette, University of Colorado Denver: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States
  • You, Zhiying, University of Colorado Denver: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States
  • Supiano, Mark A., University of Utah and VA Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  • Chonchol, Michel, University of Colorado Denver: Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, United States
Background

High dietary sodium may induce small yet physiologically relevant increases in plasma sodium concentrations, which associates with increased systolic blood pressure. Cellular data suggests this is mediated by increased endothelial cell stiffnes, as measured by atomic force microscopy. We hypothesized that higher plasma sodium levels were associated with greater arterial stiffness in participants in the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT).

Methods

8,004 adults who participated in SPRINT were included in the analysis of the association of plasma sodium level with pulse pressure (PP), a surrogate measure of arterial stiffness. 542 adults who participated in an ancillary study of SPRINT which measured aortic pulse-wave velocity (aPWV) were included in the analysis of the association of plasma sodium with aPWV. Multivariable linear regression was used to examine the association between baseline plasma sodium levels and a) PP and b) aPWV.

Results

Mean age was 68±9 years with a mean serum sodium level of 140±3 mmol/L. In the PP analysis, after adjustment for demographics, randomization group, co-morbid conditions, smoking, body-mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, antihypertensive medications, and heart rate, higher plasma sodium was associated with increased baseline PP (tertile 3 [≥141 mmol] vs. tertile 2 [139-141 mmol]; β: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.49-1.73). In the ancillary study, higher plasma sodium was associated with increased baseline aPWV in the unadjusted analysis (tertile 3 vs. tertile 2; β: 0.53, 95% CI: 0.02-1.03). However, in the fully adjusted model, this association was no longer significant (β: 0.39, 95% CI: -0.10-0.88).

Conclusion

Among adults at high risk for cardiovascular events, higher plasma sodium was independently associated with baseline arterial stiffness as measured by PP, but not by aPWV. The latter analysis may have been limited in power due to a smaller samples size.

Funding

  • NIDDK Support