ASSESSMENT OF MICROVASCULAR REACTIVITY IN RANDOMLY SELECTED ADULT POPULATION EHUH STUDY CROATIAN SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION

Abstract

Objective: To assess the forearm skin microvascular reactivity and anthropometric parameters in randomly selected population and seek the differences between a group of people who had elevated blood pressure at the time of measurement and those who were normotensive. Design and method: Total of 148 randomly selected individuals (50 men/98 women) participated in this study. The exclusion criteria were less than 1l of urine collected at 24 h, and creatinine values below the reference values. Forthy eight individuals included in this study had arterial hypertension (HT) and 44 had normal arterial blood pressure values (NT). Post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) in skin microcirculation following 1 minute of vascular occlusion period was assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, heart rate were measured, and 24-hour urine was collected to sodium excretion and creatinine measurement. P < 0,05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Sistolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean (MAP) arterial blood pressure were significantly higher, while PORH was significantly lower in HT group compared to NT individuals. HT had higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference, while there were no differences in heart rate between HT and NT group. In HT individuals, PORH was negatively associated with waist circumference (r = -0,438), and positively associated with heart rate (r = 0,316). Sodium excretion was positively associated with DBP (r = 0,361). In NT group, PORH was negatively associated with SBP (r = -0,362) and MAP (r = -0,37). SBP and MAP were positively associated with BMI (r = 0,484,r = 0,312) and waist circumference (r = 0,421,r = 0,319). Sodium excretion was positively associated with BMI (r = 0,546) and waist circumference (r = 0,523). Analyzes of all individuals together showed that PORH was negatively associated with BMI (r = -0,253), SBP (r = -0,274) and MAP (r = -0,24), while BMI was positively associated with SBP (r = 0,359), DBP (r = 0,219) and MAP (r = 0,312). Conclusions: High blood pressure attenuated microvascular function. Arterial blood pressure is related to obesity (BMI, waist circumference).