Higher blood pressure load (baric impact) in normotensives with endothelial dysfunction: a paraphysiological status of "pre-hypertension".
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".
Cugini
P
P
Department of Clinical Sciences, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy.
Baldoni
F
F
De Rosa
R
R
Pandolfi
C
C
Colotto
M
M
Buccarella
P A
PA
Zamparelli
C
C
Berti
D
D
Passini
B
B
Roncoroni
V
V
Sabino
D
D
Capria
A
A
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