title: Dependence of morphological changes of the carotid arteries on essential hypertension and accompanying risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to evaluate morphological changes (intima-media thickness, IMT) of the carotid arteries in patients being treated for essential hypertension (EH), and to discover whether this abnormality can be detected in normotensive offspring of subjects with EH (familial trait, FT); and to investigate the interrelationship between IMT and accompanying risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  angiology department, university teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  the study encompassed 172 subjects, of whom 46 were treated hypertonics aged 40-55 (49) years, and 44 age matched, normotensive volunteers as controls. We also investigated 41 normotensives with FT for essential hypertension aged 20-30 (25) years and 41 age- and sex-matched controls without FT.
  
  
  METHODS
  the hypertensive subjects were being treated either with long-acting calcium-channel antagonists or ACE-inhibitors.
  
  
  METHODS
  using high resolution ultrasound, IMT of the carotid bifurcation and of the common carotid artery was measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the hypertensives, the mean IMT was greater than that in the controls (0.92 (0.10) mm vs 0.72 (0.07) mm; p<0.00005). The IMT was independently related to accompanying risk factors: a positive family history of hypertension, age of the patient, duration of EH and the level of systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BP), body mass index and total/LDL-cholesterol. In subjects with FT, IMT was also greater compared to the control group (0.60 (0.05) mm vs 0.55 (0.04) mm; p<0.00005). IMT was not related to BP values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In treated essential patients with the EH, the IMT was increased. Individuals with FT also had greater IMT in the absence of elevated BP. The IMT in hypertensives was related to accompanying risk factors, which could be pathogenetic determinants of EH and/or its complications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Angiology, University Medical Centre, Ljubljana, Slovenia. jelka.kos@trnovo.kclj.si
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zizek
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poredos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015588:Observer Variation; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000473:pathology; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D005340:Fibrinogen