title: Higher blood pressure load (baric impact) in normotensives with endothelial dysfunction: a paraphysiological status of "pre-hypertension".
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study investigated the blood pressure (BP) load (L), namely Baric Impact (BI), in normotensives with and without endothelial dysfunction (ED). The aim was to detect baric differences supporting the thesis that the ED is associated with vasopressant effects that are responsible for a paraphysiological condition of higher BP (pre-hypertension) even in normotensives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight normotensives were investigated in their endothelium-dependent vasomotricity by mean of the non-invasive post-ischemic brachial artery vasodilation test. Additionally, their underwent a non-invasive ambulatory (A) BP monitoring (M) over the 24-h span in order to confirm that they were not hypertensive. The ABPM served also to compute the systolic (S) and diastolic (D) BI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The ED was detected in eight normotensives of the investigated group. These cases with ED were found to show a significantly higher SBI and DBI as compared to the normotensives without ED.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The significant elevation of the SBI and DBI in normotensives with ED is an evidence convincing that a dysfunctional endothelium is responsible for vasopressant effects that cause a paraphysiological status of "pre-hypertension".
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cugini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baldoni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Rosa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pandolfi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colotto
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Buccarella
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zamparelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berti
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Passini
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Roncoroni
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sabino
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capria
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D001916:Brachial Artery; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007511:Ischemia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014664:Vasodilation