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International Angiology 2002 March;21(1):70-77
Copyright © 2003 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA
lingua: Inglese
Dependence of morphological changes of the carotid arteries on essential hypertension and accompanying risk factors
Zizek B., Poredos P.
From the Department of Angiology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Background. Aims: to evaluate morphological changes (intima-media thickness, IMT) of the carotid arteries in patients being treated for essential hypertension (EH), and to discover whether this abnormality can be detected in normotensive offspring of subjects with EH (familial trait, FT); and to investigate the interrelationship between IMT and accompanying risk factors.
Methods. Experimental design: cross-sectional study. Setting: angiology department, university teaching hospital. Subjects: the study encompassed 172 subjects, of whom 46 were treated hypertonics aged 40-55 (49) years, and 44 age matched, normotensive volunteers as controls. We also investigated 41 normotensives with FT for essential hypertension aged 20-30 (25) years and 41 age- and sex-matched controls without FT. Interventions: the hypertensive subjects were being treated either with long-acting calcium-channel antagonists or ACE-inhibitors. Measures: using high resolution ultrasound, IMT of the carotid bifurcation and of the common carotid artery was measured.
Results. In the hypertensives, the mean IMT was greater than that in the controls (0.92 (0.10) mm vs 0.72 (0.07) mm; p<0.00005). The IMT was independently related to accompanying risk factors: a positive family history of hypertension, age of the patient, duration of EH and the level of systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BP), body mass index and total/LDL-cholesterol. In subjects with FT, IMT was also greater compared to the control group (0.60 (0.05) mm vs 0.55 (0.04) mm; p<0.00005). IMT was not related to BP values.
Conclusions. In treated essential patients with the EH, the IMT was increased. Individuals with FT also had greater IMT in the absence of elevated BP. The IMT in hypertensives was related to accompanying risk factors, which could be pathogenetic determinants of EH and/or its complications.