Arterial Endothelial Function and Related Factors in Elderly Patients With Essential Hypertension and Abdominal Obesity

Abstract

Abstract Background To investigate arterial endothelial function and related factors in elderly patients with both essential hypertension and abdominal obesity. Methods A total of 658 elderly patients (≥60 years old) with essential hypertension and 64 elderly subjects without hypertension were recruited. Hypertension and obesity were defined based on blood pressure (≥140/90 mm Hg) and waist circumference (male ≥90, female ≥85 cm), respectively. Endothelium-dependent dilatation (EDD) of anterior tibial artery induced by reactive hyperemia was examined by high-resolution vascular ultrasound. Pearson correlation analysis, factorial analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were undertaken to examine the related factors of EDD. Results Factorial analysis showed that hypertension and abdominal obesity were influence factors of EDD, but there was no interaction between them. From normotensive without abdominal obesity, normotensive with abdominal obesity, hypertensive without abdominal obesity, to hypertensive with abdominal obesity, a gradual decline in EDD was observed (9.37 ± 1.11%, 8.59 ± 0.99%, 7.70 ± 0.30%, and 6.75 ± 0.26%, respectively, P < 0.05). In elderly hypertensive patients with abdominal obesity, EDD correlated with waist circumference (r = −0.139, P < 0.05), systolic blood pressure (r = −0.245, P < 0.05), pulse pressure (r = −0.287, P < 0.05), and fasting glucose level (r = −0.131, P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that EDD was associated with pulse pressure (β = −0.280, P < 0.001) and waist circumference (β = − 0.141, P = 0.009). Conclusions In elderly patients with essential hypertension and central obesity, EDD is impaired, and negatively correlated with pulse pressure and waist circumference.