Background: Acute aortic dissection is associated with high mortality and increased risk of complications. Acute exacerbations have a relatively high frequency; however, the contributing factors are unclear. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate control are important factors, but the ideal BP control strategy to prevent acute exacerbations under invasive arterial pressure monitoring remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between invasive arterial BP and the effects of acute exacerbation of aortic dissection.
Methods and results: This single-centre, retrospective, case-control study included 104 patients with a partial diagnosis of acute aortic dissection (Stanford type A or B) who were treated conservatively between September 2013 and September 2022. The patients were divided into exacerbation (acute exacerbation; n = 26) and stable (no acute deterioration) groups. The SBP trend (122.5 ± 13.1 vs. 116.6 ± 10.6 mmHg, respectively; P = 0.024) and mean BP trend (77.8 ± 5.8 vs. 74.4 ± 7.5 mmHg, respectively; P = 0.038) significantly differed between the two groups. The time to target BP was significantly longer in the exacerbation group ( P = 0.036).
Conclusion: The exacerbation group did not achieve a mean SBP < 120 mmHg. Moreover, the importance of early BP reduction was demonstrated in the present study.