title: Effect of antihypertensive treatment on small arteries of patients with previously untreated essential hypertension.
abstract: In a double-blind randomized trial, the effects of treatment with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (perindopril) and a beta-blocker (atenolol) on small artery structure were compared in previously untreated essential hypertensive patients. Subjects (diastolic blood pressure > or = 100 and < or = 120 mm Hg) were randomly assigned to treatment for 12 months with either perindopril (n = 13, 4 to 8 mg/d) or atenolol (n = 12, 50 to 100 mg/d); the dosage was adjusted upward and in some cases combined (n = 5, perindopril; n = 2, atenolol) with thiazide diuretic to achieve target blood pressure (diastolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg). Before and at the end of treatment, gluteal biopsies were taken under local anesthetic; from these biopsies, two small arteries were dissected and mounted on a myograph for morphometry. The reduction in blood pressure with atenolol (drop in mean blood pressure 28.4 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) was greater than with perindopril (20.6 +/- 1.8 mm Hg, P < .05). Perindopril treatment caused an increase in small artery diameter (231 +/- 14 to 274 +/- 13 microns, P < .05) and a reduction in the ratio of media thickness to lumen diameter (7.94 +/- 0.65% to 5.96 +/- 0.42%, P < .05), whereas atenolol had no effect (246 +/- 14 to 231 +/- 13 microns and 7.14 +/- 0.47% to 6.79 +/- 0.45%, respectively). The change in small artery morphology caused by perindopril was not accompanied by any change in media cross-sectional area, suggesting that the change was due to "remodeling."(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Thybo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stephens
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aalkjaer
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Heagerty
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mulvany
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001158:Arteries / Q000187:drug effects*; D001262:Atenolol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020913:Perindopril
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D007211:Indoles; D001262:Atenolol; D020913:Perindopril