Platelet-derived extracellular vesicles correlate with therapy-induced nocturnal blood pressure changes

INTRODUCTION: Elevated nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is closely associated with increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. Circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been proposed as a potential CV risk biomarker and shown to correlate with BP. The present study aimed to assess whether a reduction in BP is paralleled by respective changes in EVs.

METHODS: Fifty-five hypertensive patients (age: 57.7 ± 14.1 years) were included in the study. EVs and BP were assessed at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up. Interventions to lower BP included advice on life-style modification only or life-style advice combined with additional pharmacotherapy. EVs were evaluated by flow cytometry (CD41+/Annexin V+) and BP by unobserved automated office BP and ambulatory BP monitoring.

RESULTS: Nocturnal systolic BP correlated with EV levels at baseline (P = 0.01). Multivariable regression models showed that changes in nocturnal systolic BP (adjusted R2 = 0.23; P = 0.01) and diastolic BP (adjusted R2 = 0.18; P = 0.02) were associated with respective changes in EV levels. Furthermore, intervention-induced improvement of systolic dipping was associated with a reduction in EVs in the univariate analysis (adjusted R2 = 0.06; P = 0.03). In contrast, systolic office, 24 h- and daytime-BP did not show significant associations with EVs. Patients whose medication was up-titrated at baseline showed a trend towards lower EV levels at follow-up (absolute change of -1.7 ± 1.3 EV/μl; P = 0.057).

CONCLUSIONS: Circulating platelet-derived EVs were positively associated with nocturnal BP and therapy-induced changes over a 12-week treatment period. EVs may provide an integrated measure of BP changes achieved with pharmacotherapy.