Organ Damage In Hypertensive Patients Research Articles

Association of arterial stiffness with a prothrombotic state in uncomplicated nondiabetic hypertensive patients.

Past studies reported a significant contribution of a prothrombotic state to the development and progression of target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Stiffening of arterial vessels is associated with aging and hypertension, and additional factors could contribute to this process. This study was designed to examine the relationships between arterial stiffening and the hemostatic and fibrinolytic system. In 128 middle-aged, nondiabetic, essential hypertensive patients without major cardiovascular and renal complications, we measured coagulation markers that express the spontaneous activation of the hemostatic and fibrinolytic system and assessed stiffness of the arterial tree by measurement of the carotid/femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and pulse wave analysis with calculation of the brachial augmentation index (AIx). Levels of fibrinogen (FBG), D-dimer (D-d), and plasminogen activator-inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) were significantly higher in patients with PWV and AIx above the median of the distribution. FBG, D-d, and PAI-1 were significantly and directly related with both cfPWV and AIx, and multivariate regression analysis indicated that the relationships of D-d and PAI-1 with both cfPWV and AIx and of FBG with AIx, were independent of age, body mass index, severity and duration of hypertension, use of antihypertensive drugs, blood glucose, and plasma lipids. In middle-aged, uncomplicated, nondiabetic patients with essential hypertension, spontaneous activation of plasma hemostatic cascade and impaired fibrinolysis is significantly and independently associated with stiffening of the arterial tree.

PS-R02-1: THE HIDDEN HAND BEHIND AN AORTIC DISSECTION CASE

According to the data of WHO, more than 1.1 billion people worldwide suffer from hypertension, which leads to complications such as aortic dissection, acute myocardial infarction, and heart failure seriously threaten human health. Previously, we believed that primary hypertension accounted for 80%-90% of all hypertension, but with the gradual increase in understanding and improvement of detection methods, the understanding of secondary hypertension factors is becoming clearer. Among the secondary hypertension, primary aldosteronism is receiving more and more attention. It is thought that the actual prevalence of primary aldosteronism may account for 30%-50% of hypertension. The dangers of primary aldosteronism are not only in the damage to target organs from blood pressure, but the damage to organs from elevated aldosterone appears much earlier. Early recognition of primary aldosteronism is important to reduce the emergence of complications. We report a case of a patient with aortic dissection with a previous history of thirty years of hypertension, regular medication and stable blood pressure control, who, after a sudden aortic dissection, had laboratory tests suggesting intractable hypokalemia and poor results with potassium supplementation. We further examined aldosterone and renin levels and found that renin levels were significantly lower, with an aldosterone/renin ratio of 72 (reference value: 0–38). Although the patient was not able to standardize medications at the time of examination due to his condition, the ARB, CCB and hydrochlorothiazide medications the patient was on were all elevated for renin. In this case, renin levels remained low and we have reason to believe that the patient could be diagnosed with primary aldosteronism. With this history, we recognize that screening for secondary hypertension is far from adequate, and some scholars believe that less than 1% of hypertensive patients worldwide are currently screened for secondary factors. We believe that screening for secondary hypertensive factors should be performed in all patients with aortic dissection, even whenever there is combined target organ damage in hypertensive patients, regardless of blood pressure values.

To Estimate the Prevalence of Microalbuminuria and to Determine its Corelation with Left Ventricular Mass Index in Hypertensive Patients - A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Microalbuminuria (MA) is a sign of renal impairment that can predict cardiovascular disease independently. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a prelude to cardiac symptoms of target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Aim: This study aims to determine the relationship between left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and MA in hypertensive patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done from January 2020 to January 2021. In this study, 100 patients aged 18–60 years with hypertension were enrolled. MA was assessed by urine albumin creatinine ratio and LVMI was calculated by two-dimensional echocardiography using the Devereux and Reichek “cube” formula. Results: Mean age was 52.04 ± 9.96 years in study population with male: female of 0.96. The mean systolic blood pressure was 163.80 ± 18.13 mmHg and the mean diastolic blood pressure was 94.90 ± 8.93 mmHg with mean duration of hypertension being 2.49 ± 3.93 years. LVH was present in significant number of patients with MA as compared to those without MA (87.5% vs. 50%, P < 0.001). The LVH was independently associated with MA, albumin-creatinine ratio, and serum creatinine. Out of 77 patients with LVH, 49.4% had high LVMI with a P = 0.002 suggesting a significant correlation between LVH with LVMI. A significant correlation between raised LVMI and presence of MA was seen and the odds of having raised LVMI was 3.46 times in the presence of MA as compared to without MA. Interpretations and Conclusions: This study shows that MA and LVMI are independently correlated, and as a result, MA stands alone as a risk factor for higher cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

S-40-1: INFLAMMATION AND IMMUNITY IN HYPERTENSION

Over the past almost 30 years the roles of inflammation and later of specific immune cells in the mechanisms of hypertension have increasingly been demonstrated. Initially it was shown that immune cells infiltrated perivascular tissue in the heart and kidney. Later, the demonstration that macrophages and shortly after T lymphocytes were critical for angiotensin II and DOCA-salt-induced hypertension consolidated the idea that immune mechanisms played a role in cardiovascular and renal injury in hypertension. As well, the anti-inflammatory role of T regulatory lymphocytes, the participation of dendritic cells, of gamma/delta T lymphocytes, of neutrophils through the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), has become evident. The role of antigen presentation and intracellular mechanisms leading to activation of innate and adaptive immunity in hypertension have offered additional opportunities for eventually targeting the immune system to control inflammation-mediated damage in hypertension. Interferon-gamma and interleukin-17 appear to be important pro-inflammatory cytokines, whereas interleukin-10 plays an anti-inflammatory role in hypertension. Recent application of single cell RNA sequencing has opened novel vistas of the landscape of immune cells participating in cardiovascular and renal injury in hypertension, which can lead to new therapeutic options to control blood pressure and target organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Ventricular-arterial coupling assessed by PWV/GLS ratio in hypertensive patients.

The physiological interaction between the left ventricle (LV) and the arterial system, defined as ventricular-arterial coupling (VAC), facilitates the optimal volume of cardiac work and cardiovascular performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of PWV/GLS ratio associated with other vascular and cardiac performance parameters in hypertensive patients compared to age-matched healthy controls. We calculated the ratio of pulse wave velocity (PWV), as a marker of arterial stiffness, to global longitudinal strain (GLS), as a marker of left ventricular function in 135 patients divided in 3 groups, as follows: group 1 (HT + CAD) enrolled 54 hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease, group 2 (HT) enrolled 43 hypertensive patients and group 3 (CON) represented the control group consisting of 38 age-matched healthy subjects. GLS values were significantly reduced in HT+CAD (-17.50±7.2) vs. HT (-17.95±5.3) vs. control (-20.13±4.6) (p-value <0.001). PWV values were higher in HT+CAD (9.90±3.1) and HT (9.70±2.5) vs. control (7.85±3.2) (p-value <0.001). VA coupling measured by the PWV/GLS ratio showed significantly lower values in HT+CAD and HT vs. control (p-value <0.001). The ROC curve identified a threshold of -0.054 of the PWV/GLS ratio to detect altered ventricular-arterial coupling AUROC = 0.836, 95% CI [0.762; 0.909]. This study demonstrated that assessment of the PWV/GLS ratio represents a useful tool to detect altered ventricular-arterial coupling in hypertensive patients. The perspectives of future use could include monitoring of earlier development of multiple organ damage in hypertensive patients and the efficacy of the different hypertensive medications. Extensive prospective studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis.

A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY; COMPARISON OF DIAGNOSTIC PARAMETERS AND COMORBID CONDITIONS IN HYPERTENSION ALONE AND HYPERTENSION PLUS DIABETES

Comorbidities such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes are widespread. Hypertension is twice as common in diabetic individuals as it is in non-diabetics. The purpose of this research was to better understand the clinical profile, laboratory features, and vulnerability to end organ damage in hypertensive patients with and without diabetes. Method: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted in the outpatient and inpatient departments of Medicine. Study participants were divided into two groups according to their presence of hypertension or diabetes mellitus. Patients were examined clinically and the data was further analysed using statistical methods. We observed th Results: e mean age of 53.08 years (±11.48) and 55.96 years (±11.23) with no associations between the age group and gender of the hypertensive patient group (p&lt;0.344) and the hypertensive diabetic group (p&lt;0.597). The most frequent symptom of presentation in both groups was a headache. There was a significant statistical difference in mean systolic blood pressure between hypertensive and hypertensive-diabetic group t (165.8) =4.643, p&lt;0.001. Our study shows a higher value of mean HbA1c, mean postprandial glucose levels, and mean fasting blood glucose levels in the hypertensive diabetic group as compared to the hypertensive group. Our study demonstrated that end organ damage Conclusion: was more prevalent in hypertensive diabetic individuals, indicating the effect of diabetes-hypertension co-morbidity on target organs.

INTEREST OF MEASURING THE INTIMA MEDIA THICKNESS IN THE EVALUATION OF HYPERTENSIVE

Objective: The measurement of the Intima Media Thickness (IMT) allows the diagnosis of the early stages of atherothrombosis. There is a direct correlation between the intima media thickness and CVRF in particular hypertension. The objective of our study is to describe the profile of IMT in hypertensive patients and to analyze the correlations with subclinical damage to target organs. Design and method: Descriptive and analytical prospective study of a cohort of asymptomatic hypertensive patients aged over 35 received in consultation. All the patients had benefited from a measurement of the intima media thickness. An intima-media thickness &gt; 0.9 mm is considered pathological. At the same time, patients benefit from a systematic assessment in search of other target organ damage, namely cardiac, neurological, renal and ophthalmological damage. Results: 252 patients included in our work, it is 146 women or 58%. The average age of our series is 59.5 years. The EIM is pathological in 34.9% of patients. In multivariate analysis, the two independent factors associated with pathological ADR are age &gt; 55 years and smoking. Chi-square correlation analysis shows us a highly significant correlation between pathological IMT and LVH on ultrasound, carotid plaques and stenosing plaques, and urinary albumin excretion and kidney disease chronic. Intima Media thickness values are positively correlated with indexed left ventricular mass values (pearson 0.190**, p = 0.004), pulse pressure values (pearson = 0.226**[0.123, 0.344] p = 0.000), to the values of the Sokolow index (0.145*[0.032, 0.261] p = 0.029) and to the values of proteinuria and particularly to microalbuminuria (0.187**[0.013, 0.369] p = 0.008) The values of the media intima thickness are negatively correlated with MDRD clearance values (-0.140* [-0.250, -0.019] p = 0.037) Conclusions: Carotid intima media thickness is an excellent screening test for target organ damage in hypertensive patients. It is a simple and non-invasive measure, it reflects early lesions of atherosclerosis. Our study clearly shows the strong correlation between the values of the intima media thickness and the values of all the screening tests for target organ damage.

Prevalence of target organ damage in hypertensive patients with coexisting obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular risk and higher mortality. Assessment of subclinical organ lesions is significant for prevention of clinically manifested complications which might result in death. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of subclinical target organ damage in hypertensive patients with OSA, and to establish whether these lesions are dependent on the intensity of sleep-disordered breathing. The study covered 67 patients with OSA diagnosed on the basis of polygraphy. Depending on the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were divided into two groups: G1 (n=32; AHI=5-30) and G2 (n=35; AHI>30). The control group C consisted of 31 hypertensive subjects with OSA risk estimated as low based on the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ). Each patient had the following parameters measured: intima-media thickness (IMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The patients with severe OSA had significantly higher LVMI compared to the control group (130.99±44.6 g/m2 versus 106.61±27.86 g/m2; p=0.0332). The G2 group had higher eGFR than C (104.7±17.96 ml/min/1.73m2, 88.85±17.68 ml/min/1.73m2; p=0.0058). Similar results of eGFR were observed between G1 and C (104.35±21.06 ml/min/1.73m2, 88.85±17.68 ml/min/1.73m2; p=0.0081). G1 and G2 did not differ significantly in terms of eGFR. The other measured parameters, such as IMT and ABI, did not differ significantly between OSA and controls. Patients with severe OSA demonstrate signs of left ventricular hypertrophy, while early atherosclerotic lesions (ABI and IMT) were not more intense than in the control group. High eGFR levels may indicate hyperfiltration, which does not correlate with OSA intensity level.

A study to identify obstructive sleep apnea syndrome based on 24 h ambulatory blood pressure data

Sleep apnea causes cardiac arrest, sleep rhythm disorders, nocturnal hypoxia and abnormal blood pressure fluctuations in patients, which eventually lead to nocturnal target organ damage in hypertensive patients. The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is extremely high, which seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. This study attempts to extract features associated with OSAHS from 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure data and identify OSAHS by machine learning models for the differential diagnosis of this disease. The study data were obtained from ambulatory blood pressure examination data of 339 patients collected in outpatient clinics of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from December 2018 to December 2019, including 115 patients with OSAHS diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) and 224 patients with non-OSAHS. Based on the characteristics of clinical changes of blood pressure in OSAHS patients, feature extraction rules were defined and algorithms were developed to extract features, while logistic regression and lightGBM models were then used to classify and predict the disease. The results showed that the identification accuracy of the lightGBM model trained in this study was 80.0%, precision was 82.9%, recall was 72.5%, and the area under the working characteristic curve (AUC) of the subjects was 0.906. The defined ambulatory blood pressure features could be effectively used for identifying OSAHS. This study provides a new idea and method for OSAHS screening.

Long-Term Prognostic Value of Mean Platelet Volume in Patients with Hypertension.

Although it has been shown that high mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with target organ damage in hypertensive patients, the relationship between MPV and the development of long-term major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we investigated the relationship between MPV and long-term MACE in hypertensive patients. From September 2011 to July 2017, 1507 patients with hypertension were included in this study. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was performed in all patients. Patients with chronic renal failure, cardiovascular disease, chronic systemic disease and white coat hypertension were excluded from the study. MACE were defined as myocardial infarction, stroke and cardiovascular mortality. Patients were followed-up until january 2020. The mean follow-up duration was 87 (83.3 ± 24.4) months, and 876 patients completed the study. MACE developed in 79 patients, while 797 patients were event-free. In univariate Cox regression analysis, age, diabetes mellitus (DM), MPV, creatinine, 24-hour systolic blood pressure, and non-dipper hypertension were found to be associated with the development of MACE. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, creatinine and 24-hour systolic blood pressure lost significance, and age, DM, non-dipper hypertension and MPV were found to be independent predictors for MACE development (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.044, and p = 0.049, respectively). MPV, age, DM, and non-dipper hypertension were independent predictors of long-term MACE in hypertensive patients.

HDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AND ENDOTHELIAL GLYCOCALYX INTEGRITY IN TREATED HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS OVER 40 YEARS OLD

Abstract Objective: Endothelial dysfunction indicates target organ damage in hypertensive patients. The integrity of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) plays a vital role in vascular permeability, inflammation and elasticity and finally to cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the role of increased HDL cholesterol levels (HDL-C), which usually are considered protective against cardiovascular disease, in EG integrity in middle aged hypertensive patients. Design and method: We studied 186 treated hypertensive patients, apparently healthy and older than 40 years. They were divided regarding sex distribution in two groups. In males’ group, HDL-C was 48 + 19 mg/dl (n = 77, mean age 51 + 11 years) while in females’ group, HDL-C was 67 + 16 mg/dl (n = 109, mean age 63 + 12 years). Increased perfusion boundary region (PBR) of the sublingual arterial microvessels (ranged from 5–9 micrometers) using Sideview Darkfield imaging (Microscan, Glycocheck) was measured as a non-invasive accurate index of reduced EG thickness. Results: Females were older (p = 0.04) with fewer smokers (p = 0.04), higher levels of office SBP (148 + 19 mmHg vs. 139 + 15 mmHg, p &lt; 0.001) as well as higher HDL levels (p &lt; 0.001). No differences were found within groups regarding BMI, DBP, total Cholestelol and PBR 5–9. In males, HDL-C was inversely related with PBR 5–9 (r = -0.29, p = 0.01). In a multiple linear regression analysis model, using smoking habit and office SBP levels, as independent variables, we found that HDL-C independently predicted PBR 5–9 (Beta = 0.25, p = 0.006) in male hypertensives. Conclusions: In middle-aged, apparently healthy, hypertensive patients, higher HDL-C levels protect EG and subsequently endothelial function. However, the role of EG as a novel index regarding cardiovascular risk in essential hypertension needs to be extensively investigated in future studies.

Impact of cortisol on blood pressure and hypertension-mediated organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Patients with overt and subclinical Cushing's syndrome frequently develop hypertension, metabolism disorders, and atherosclerotic lesions. The aim of the present study was to test the association between cortisol and blood pressure (BP), organ damage, and metabolic parameters in hypertensive patients without hypercortisolism. After exclusion of patients treated with corticosteroids or with Cushing's syndrome, the cohort included 623 hypertensive patients (mean ± SD age 50.3 ± 15.4 years, 50.9% men, median 24-h BP 146/88 mmHg) with an extended work-up (lipid profile, hypertension-mediated organ damage). Cortisol secretion was assessed by plasma cortisol at 0800 and 1600 h, and by 24-h urinary free cortisol (24 h UFC) normalized if required to urine creatinine (UFC/U creat). Plasma cortisol at 1600 h, 24 h-UFC, and UFC/U creat were significantly and positively correlated with daytime, night-time, and 24-h SBP; plasma cortisol at 0800 h was not associated with BP. The strongest correlations were observed in the subgroup of aged more than 50 years (correlation coefficients between 0.23 and 0.28). These correlations remained after adjustment on plasma aldosterone. Metabolic parameters were weakly associated with cortisol. Arterial stiffness (central pulse pressure and pulse wave velocity), plasma NT-proBNP, and microalbuminuria were significantly correlated with 24 h UFC, UFC/U creat, and plasma cortisol at 1600 h. Cortisol influences weakly the level of BP independently from plasma aldosterone in hypertensive patients, particularly in older patients, and that there was weak association with HMOD. It may, therefore, be of interest to test specific treatments targeting cortisol excess in selected hypertensive patients.

Supine blood pressure-A clinically relevant determinant of vascular target organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Night‐time blood pressure (BP) is an important predictor of cardiovascular outcomes. Its assessment, however, remains challenging due to limited accessibility to ambulatory BP devices in many settings, costs, and other factors. We hypothesized that BP measured in a supine position during daytime may perform similarly to night‐time BP when modeling their association with vascular hypertension‐mediated organ damage (HMOD). Data from 165 hypertensive patients were used who as part of their routine clinic workup had a series of standardized BP measurements including seated attended office, seated and supine unattended office, and ambulatory BP monitoring. HMOD was determined by assessment of kidney function and pulse wave velocity. Correlation analysis was carried out, and univariate and multivariate models were fitted to assess the extent of shared variance between the BP modalities and their individual and shared contribution to HMOD variables. Of all standard non‐24‐hour systolic BP assessments, supine systolic BP shared the highest degree of variance with systolic night‐time BP. In univariate analysis, both systolic supine and night‐time BP were strong determinants of HMOD variables. In multivariate models, supine BP outperformed night‐time BP as the most significant determinant of HMOD. These findings indicate that supine BP may not only be a clinically useful surrogate for night‐time BP when ambulatory BP monitoring is not available, but also highlights the possibility that unattended supine BP may be more closely related to HMOD than other BP measurement modalities, a proposition that requires further investigations in prospective studies.

Asymptomatic hypertension-mediated organ damage in patients with or without moderate to severe chronic kidney disease

Abstract Introduction Moderate or severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) is regarded as high or very high risk factor in the Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) system, as stated in the ESC guidelines on arterial hypertension. Assessment of cardiovascular (CV) risk should be completed evaluating hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD). Purpose The aim of our study was to find out differences in HMOD in patients with or without moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods We enrolled 80 consecutive non-diabetic hypertensive patients, divided into two groups according to the presence of impaired renal function, evaluated by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): moderate to severe CKD group (n=26 patients, eGFR &amp;lt;60 mL/min/1.73 m2) and mild CKD - normal renal function group (n=54 patients, eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2). A transthoracic echocardiogram was performed to evaluate cardiac HMOD. Small and large vessel damage was assessed by means of non-mydriatic digital fundus oculi examination in order to detect arteriolar narrowing using arteriolar-venular ratio (AVr), applanation tonometry to measure carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and carotid ultrasound to quantify intima-media tickness (IMT). Results Moderate to severe CKD patients appeared to be older (mean age 75.54±8.06 vs 63.38±9.62, p=0.001) and showed lower level of total and LDL cholesterol. Both groups showed abnormal values of cfPWV, but these were significantly higher in the presence of moderate to severe CKD (14.12±7.93 m/s vs 10.94±5.81 m/s, p=0.03). Abnormal AVr values were found in patients with higher grade of CKD, with statistically significant differences in the two groups (0.75±0.015 vs 0.81±0.06, p=0.00001). Carotid IMT resulted to be at the upper limit of normality in both groups (0.95±0.15 vs 0.90±0.18, p=0.35). With regard to echocardiography evaluation, left ventricular mass index (LVMi: 105.04±0.4 vs 96.35±1.7, p=0.06) and relative wall thickness (RWT: 0.43±0.02 vs 0.42±0.05, p=0.41) did not differ significantly in the two groups, with a mild trend for LVMi. Both groups showed abnormal diastolic dysfunction on average, but no differences emerged in the presence of more severe renal impairment (deceleration time 281.74±0.37 vs 256.30±0.54, p=0.08; E/A 0.86±0.03 vs 0.95±0.25, p=0.20; E/e' 7.89±2.93 vs 7.60±2.46, p=0.66). Conclusions Our study showed significant differences in HMOD in presence of moderate to severe renal impairment. Moderate to severe CKD seemed to be associated to vascular damage (hypertensive retinopathy and arterial stiffness), while no significant differences in echocardiographic markers of cardiac remodeling were found, suggesting that systemic vascular damage is more closely linked to CKD than cardiac damage. Therefore, the use of fundus oculi examination and PWV should always be considered to properly assess the target organ damage in hypertensive patients with CKD. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Sex-related associations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with aortic stiffness and endothelial glycocalyx integrity in treated hypertensive patients.

Smoking, a well-recognized major cardiovascular (CV) risk factor, impairs endothelial function and increases aortic stiffness which indicates subclinical organ damage in hypertensive patients. Loss of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) integrity, as part of the endothelium, represents endothelial dysfunction. The authors aimed to investigate the role of increased HDL cholesterol levels (HDL-C), which usually are considered protective against CV disease, in aortic stiffness and endothelial integrity in middle-aged treated hypertensive patients regarding smoking habit. The authors studied 193 treated hypertensive patients ≥40years (mean age=61±11years, 58% females), divided in four groups regarding sex and smoking. Increased perfusion boundary region of the 5-9μm diameter sublingual arterial microvessels (PBR5-9 ) was measured as a noninvasive accurate index of reduced EG thickness. Aortic stiffness was estimated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV). In the whole population, an inverse weak relationship was found between HDL-C and PWV (r=-.15, P=.03) and PBR5-9 (ρ=-.15, P=.03). Moreover, HDL-C was negatively related to PBR5-9 in males (r=-.29, P=.008) either smokers (r=-.35, P<.05) or non-smokers (r=-.27, P<.05) and PWV in female non-smokers (r=-.28, P=.009). In a multiple linear regression analysis, using age, weight, smoking, HDL-C, and LDL-C as independent variables, we found that HDL-C independently predicts PWV in the whole population (β=-.14, P=.02) and PBR5-9 in male hypertensive patients (β=-.28, P=.01). Higher HDL-C levels are associated with reduced aortic stiffness in hypertensive patients, while they protect EG and subsequently endothelial function in middle-aged, treated hypertensive male patients (either smokers or not).

Relationship between arterial stiffness and variability of home blood pressure monitoring.

Variability of blood pressure (BP) is known as a prognostic value for the subsequent target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Arterial stiffness is a risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The relationship between the arterial stiffness and the BP variability has been controversial. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and home BP variability in patients with high normal BP and new onset hypertension (HTN).Four hundred sixty three patients (252 males, 49 ± 12 year-old) with high normal BP or HTN were enrolled. Using radial applanation tonometry, pulse wave analysis (PWA) was performed for evaluation of systemic arterial stiffness. All patients underwent both home BP monitoring (HBPM) and PWA. Home BP variability was calculated as the standard deviation (SD) of 7 measurements of HBPM. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to estimate and test the independent effects of home BP variability on the arterial stiffness.Mutivariate analysis showed that both systolic and diastolic morning BP variabilities were correlated with arterial stiffness expressed as augmentation pressure (AP, β-coefficient = 1.622, P = .01 and β-coefficient = 1.07, P = .035). The SDs of systolic and diastolic BP of evening were also associated with AP (β-coefficient = 1.843, P = .001 and β-coefficient = 1.088, P = .036). The SDs of morning and evening systolic BP were associated with augmentation index (AI, β-coefficient = 1.583, P = .02 and β-coefficient = 1.792, P = .001) and heart rate (75 bpm) adjusted AI (β-coefficient = 1.592, P = .001 and β-coefficient = 1.792, P = .001).In present study, the variability of systolic BP was closely related with arterial stiffness. The home BP variability might be important indicator of arterial stiffness.

Correlations of Circadian Rhythm Disorder of Blood Pressure with Arrhythmia and Target Organ Damage in Hypertensive Patients.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of circadian rhythm disorder of blood pressure with arrhythmia and target organ damage in hypertensive patients.Material/MethodsA total of 198 patients admitted and treated in our hospital from May 2018 to April 2019 were selected to receive 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. The nighttime blood pressure decrease rate is 0–10% in people with normal circadian rhythm of blood pressure. In the present study, we divided patients into a normal circadian rhythm group (normal circadian rhythm of blood pressure, n=132) and a circadian rhythm disorder group (circadian rhythm disorder of blood pressure, n=66) according to the circadian rhythm of blood pressure. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean pulse pressure (PP) were observed, and dynamic electrocardiography was performed to observe the status of arrhythmia. Finally, the degree of damage to target organs such as heart, brain, and kidney was compared.ResultsThe circadian rhythm disorder group had remarkably higher daytime SBP (d-SBP), daytime DBP (d-DBP), and daytime PP (d-PP) but clearly lower nighttime SBP (n-SBP), nighttime DBP (n-DBP), and nighttime PP (n-PP) than in the normal circadian rhythm group (P<0.0001). The detection rate of arrhythmia and the degree of target organ damage were clearly higher in the circadian rhythm disorder group compared with the normal circadian rhythm group (P<0.0001). Moreover, the incidence rates of heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and nephropathy were higher in the circadian rhythm disorder group than in the normal circadian rhythm group (P<0.0001).ConclusionsThe circadian rhythm disorder of blood pressure in hypertensive patients probably increases the risk of arrhythmia and worsens the target organ damage, so attention should be paid to the adjustment of disordered blood pressure rhythm in hypertensive patients in clinical practice.

P1680High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and endothelial glycocalyx integrity in treated hypertensive patients

Abstract Background Endothelial dysfunction indicates target organ damage in hypertensive patients. The integrity of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) plays a vital role in vascular permeability, inflammation and elasticity and finally to cardiovascular disease. We aimed to investigate the role of increased HDL cholesterol levels (HDL-C), which usually are considered protective against cardiovascular disease, in EG integrity in older hypertensive patients. Methods We studied 120 treated hypertensive patients older than 50 years were divided regarding HDL-C tertiles in group HDLH, (HDL-C &gt;71 mg/dl, upper HDL-C tertile) and group HDLL, (HDL-C &lt;71 mg/dl, two lower HDL-C tertiles). Increased perfusion boundary region (PBR) of the sublingual arterial microvessels (ranged from 5–9 micrometers) using Sideview Darkfield imaging was measured as a non-invasive accurate index of reduced EG thickness. Results PBR 5–9 was significantly decreased in group HDLH (p=0.04). In the whole population, HDL-C was inversely but moderately related with PBR 5–9 (r=−0.22, p=0.01). In a multiple linear regression analysis model, using age, BMI, smoking habit, HDL-C, LDL-C and office SBP, as independent variables, we found that BMI (β=0.25, p=0.006) independently predicted PBR 5–9 in the whole population. Differences in PBR5-9 between HDL groups Conclusions In older hypertensive patients, HDL-C ranged between 71–101 mg/dl might moderately protect EG and subsequently endothelial function. Future studies in several groups of low or high risk hypertensives are needed in order to evaluate the beneficial role of extremely elevated HDL-C regarding cardiovascular risk evaluation as well as endothelial glycocalyx as a novel index of target organ damage in essential hypertension.

Relation of blood pressure variability to left ventricular function and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients.

Variability of blood pressure (BP) has been reported to be related to worse cardiovascular outcomes. We examined the impact of daytime systolic BP variability on left ventricular (LV) function and arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients. Ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and echocardiography were performed in 116 hypertensive patients. We assessed BP variability as standard deviations of daytime systolic BP on 24-hour ABPM. Conventional echocardiographic parameters, area strain and three-dimensional diastolic index (3D-DI) using 3D speckle tracking were measured. Arterial stiffness was evaluated by acquiring pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index. Patients with higher BP variability showed significantly increased left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and late mitral inflow velocity, as well as decreased E/A (early mitral inflow velocity/late mitral inflow velocity) ratio, area strain and 3D-DI than those with lower BP variability (LVMI: p = 0.02; A velocity: p < 0.001; E/A ratio: p < 0.001; area strain: p = 0.02; 3D-DI: p = 0.04). In addition, increased BP variability was associated with higher PWV and augmentation index (p < 0.001). Even among patients whose BP was well controlled, BP variability was related to LV mass, diastolic dysfunction and arterial stiffness. Increased BP variability was associated with LV mass and dysfunction, as well as arterial stiffness, suggesting that BP variability may be an important determinant of target organ damage in hypertensive patients.

Corrections: Association of intrarenal blood flow with renal function and target organ damage in hypertensive patients with fibromuscular dysplasia: the ARCADIA‑POL study.

Corrections: Association of intrarenal blood flow with renal function and target organ damage in hypertensive patients with fibromuscular dysplasia: the ARCADIA‑POL study.