HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Onder, G. Articles by Landi, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Onder, G. Articles by Landi, F.

Association of Calcium Channel Blocker Use and Pregnancy-Associated Plasma Protein-A Among Older Adults With Hypertension: Results From the ilSIRENTE Study

¹ Department of Geriatrics and ² Institute of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.

Address correspondence to Graziano Onder, MD, PhD, Centro Medicina dell'Invecchiamento, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Policlinico A. Gemelli, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy. E-mail: graziano_onder{at}rm.unicatt.it

Background. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) is a zinc-binding matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) that was shown to increase in acute coronary syndromes. Calcium channel blockers (CCB) can influence the production of several MMPs, but no study, so far, has assessed the association between use of CCB and PAPP-A levels. The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluated if, among older hypertensive adults, PAPP-A levels differ according to use of CCB.

Methods. Data are from the baseline evaluation of the ilSIRENTE study, which enrolled 364 participants 80 years old or older. For the present study, we selected 314 participants with hypertension. Analyses of covariance were performed to evaluate the differences in PAPP-A levels according to use of CCB.

Results. Mean age of participants was 85.6 years (standard deviation [SD] 4.8), 206 (66%) were women; 58 participants (19%) were using a CCB. After adjusting for potential confounders, concentration of PAPP-A was significantly lower in CCB users than in nonusers (1.58 mIU/L, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37–1.81 vs 1.86 mIU/L, 95% CI, 1.74–1.98; p =.03). This association was still consistent after exclusion of participants with cardiovascular disease (1.53 mIU/L, 95% CI, 1.30–1.80 vs 1.90 mIU/L, 95% CI, 1.78–2.03; p =.01).

Conclusions. Use of CCB is associated with lower levels of PAPP-A. These findings need to be confirmed in prospective studies.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Bernabei, F. Landi, G. Onder, R. Liperoti, and G. Gambassi Multidimensional Geriatric Assessment: Back to the Future Second and Third Generation Assessment Instruments: The Birth of Standardization in Geriatric Care J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., March 1, 2008; 63(3): 308 - 313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]