Association between preoperative pulse pressure and perioperative myocardial injury: an international observational cohort study of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND: The management of elevated blood pressure before non-cardiac surgery remains controversial. Pulse pressure is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular morbidity in the general population than systolic blood pressure alone. We hypothesized that preoperative pulse pressure was associated with perioperative myocardial injury. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the Vascular Events in Non-cardiac Surgery Patients Cohort Evaluation (VISION) international cohort study. Participants were aged ≥45 yr and undergoing non-cardiac surgery at 12 hospitals in eight countries. The primary outcome was myocardial injury, defined using serum troponin concentration, within 30 days after surgery. The sample was stratified into quintiles by preoperative pulse pressure. Multivariable logistic regression analysis explored associations between pulse pressure and myocardial injury. We accounted for potential confounding by systolic blood pressure and other co-morbidities known to be associated with postoperative cardiovascular complications. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred and ninety-one of 15 057 (7.9%) patients sustained myocardial injury, which was more frequent amongst patients in the highest two preoperative pulse pressure quintiles {63-75 mm Hg, risk ratio (RR) 1.14 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.28], P =0.03; >75 mm Hg, RR 1.15 [95% CI: 1.03-1.29], P =0.02}. After adjustment for systolic blood pressure, preoperative pulse pressure remained the dominant predictor of myocardial injury (63-75 mm Hg, RR 1.20 [95% CI: 1.05-1.37], P <0.01; >75 mm Hg, RR 1.25 [95% CI: 1.06-1.48], P <0.01). Systolic blood pressure >160 mm Hg was not associated with myocardial injury in the absence of pulse pressure >62 mm Hg (RR 0.67 [95% CI: 0.30-1.44], P =0.31). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pulse pressure >62 mm Hg was associated with myocardial injury, independent of systolic blood pressure. Elevated pulse pressure may be a useful clinical sign to guide strategies to reduce perioperative myocardial injury.