title: Microalbuminuria is associated with abnormal thoracic aortic mechanics in essential hypertension.
abstract: In a population of 162 patients with currently untreated essential hypertension, those with microalbuminuria (n = 75) had significantly impaired elastic properties of the proximal ascending thoracic aorta compared with their normoalbuminuric counterparts (n = 87), whereas urinary albumin excretion was a significant predictor of aortic mechanics in the entire population. Impaired aortic mechanics in microalbuminuric hypertensives were not fully accounted for by clustering of classic risk factors for atherosclerosis, and constitute a finding that may entail additional long-term cardiovascular risk in this subgroup of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Greece.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Tsioufis
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lambrou
authors.forename: C I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Stefanadis
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Antoniadis
authors.forename: I E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Kallikazaros
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pitsavos
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Toutouzas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000652:urine*; D008875:Middle Aged