Pulse Pressure as a Single Index May not Represent the Level of Left Ventricle Work Load: Influence of Aortic Wave Dynamics

Introduction: Hypertension plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of heart failure primarily due to elevation of left ventricular (LV) work load followed by LV hypertrophy (LVH). Elevated pulse pressure (PP) is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events since it is directly related to elevated myocardial workload. We hypothesized that aortic wave dynamics can create hemodynamic conditions that increase LV power requirements.