Microalbuminuria is associated with abnormal thoracic aortic mechanics in essential hypertension.
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.
Tsioufis
C P
CP
Department of Cardiology, University of Athens, Hippokration Hospital, Greece.
Lambrou
S G
SG
Stefanadis
C I
CI
Antoniadis
D I
DI
Kallikazaros
I E
IE
Pitsavos
C E
CE
Toutouzas
P K
PK
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