BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness is an independent cardiovascular risk factor in hypertensive individuals. Inflammation is associated with increased arterial stiffness and is implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether low-grade inflammation contributes to arterial stiffness and wave reflections independently of blood pressure, in patients with essential hypertension and in controls. METHODS: We studied 235 consecutive patients with uncomplicated, never-treated essential hypertension and 103 sex- and age-matched controls. The level of inflammation was evaluated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA). Arterial stiffness was assessed with carotid-femoral (c-f) and carotid-radial (c-r) pulse wave velocity (PWV), and wave reflections with augmentation index (AIx). RESULTS: In the hypertensive group, in multiple regression analysis, both PWVc-f and PWVc-r were independently correlated with log hsCRP (beta = 0.56, P = 0.006 and beta = 0.45, P = 0.016, respectively), whereas no correlation was found between PWV and log SAA (P = NS). No significant correlation was observed between heart-rate-corrected AIx and log hsCRP (P = NS) and log SAA (P = 0.07) in the same group. Similarly, in the control group, an independent association was observed between PWVc-f and PWVc-r with log hsCRP (beta = 0.68, P = 0.05 and beta = 0.74, P = 0.05 respectively), but not with log SAA (P = NS). Furthermore, no significant association was shown between heart-rate-corrected AIx and log hsCRP or log SAA (P = NS) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In hypertensive individuals, hsCRP is related to PWV, a direct marker of arterial stiffness, but not to AIx, a measure of wave reflections. Whether inflammation might act as a pathogenetic or modulating factor in arterial stiffening in chronic hypertension has to be confirmed.
BACKGROUND: Arterial stiffness is an independent cardiovascular risk factor in hypertensive individuals. Inflammation is associated with increased arterial stiffness and is implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether low-grade inflammation contributes to arterial stiffness and wave reflections independently of blood pressure, in patients with essential hypertension and in controls. METHODS: We studied 235 consecutive patients with uncomplicated, never-treated essential hypertension and 103 sex- and age-matched controls. The level of inflammation was evaluated with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA). Arterial stiffness was assessed with carotid-femoral (c-f) and carotid-radial (c-r) pulse wave velocity (PWV), and wave reflections with augmentation index (AIx). RESULTS: In the hypertensive group, in multiple regression analysis, both PWVc-f and PWVc-r were independently correlated with log hsCRP (beta = 0.56, P = 0.006 and beta = 0.45, P = 0.016, respectively), whereas no correlation was found between PWV and log SAA (P = NS). No significant correlation was observed between heart-rate-corrected AIx and log hsCRP (P = NS) and log SAA (P = 0.07) in the same group. Similarly, in the control group, an independent association was observed between PWVc-f and PWVc-r with log hsCRP (beta = 0.68, P = 0.05 and beta = 0.74, P = 0.05 respectively), but not with log SAA (P = NS). Furthermore, no significant association was shown between heart-rate-corrected AIx and log hsCRP or log SAA (P = NS) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In hypertensive individuals, hsCRP is related to PWV, a direct marker of arterial stiffness, but not to AIx, a measure of wave reflections. Whether inflammation might act as a pathogenetic or modulating factor in arterial stiffening in chronic hypertension has to be confirmed.
Authors: Matthew R Nelson; Jan Stepanek; Michael Cevette; Michael Covalciuc; R Todd Hurst; A Jamil Tajik Journal: Mayo Clin Proc Date: 2010-05 Impact factor: 7.616
Authors: Yalcin Solak; Baris Afsar; Nosratola D Vaziri; Gamze Aslan; Can Ege Yalcin; Adrian Covic; Mehmet Kanbay Journal: Hypertens Res Date: 2016-04-07 Impact factor: 3.872
Authors: C Vlachopoulos; A Gravos; G Georgiopoulos; D Terentes-Printzios; N Ioakeimidis; D Vassilopoulos; K Stamatelopoulos; D Tousoulis Journal: Clin Rheumatol Date: 2017-05-08 Impact factor: 2.980
Authors: L Joly; D Mandry; A Verger; C Labat; G Watfa; V Roux; G Karcher; P-Y Marie; A Benetos Journal: J Nutr Health Aging Date: 2016-03 Impact factor: 4.075