Functional capillary rarefaction in mild blood pressure elevation.
Capillary rarefaction is described in patients with moderate to severe hypertension. The study objective was to determine if structural and/or functional capillary rarefaction is detectable and associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with mild blood pressure elevation (HBP: Systolic blood pressure 130 - 160 mm Hg). Capillary density was quantified by direct capillaroscopy in 110 nondiabetic black and non-black subjects. Endothelial function was quantified by plethysmographic measures of flow-mediated vasodilation. Compared to normotensives (NBP: N = 90), functional capillary rarefaction was detected in HBP (N = 20; P<0.001). Functional capillary density measures correlated with endothelial function (P<0.001). Functional, but not structural, capillary rarefaction is detectable and associated with endothelial dysfunction in both black and non-black individuals with mild blood pressure elevation.
Departments of Family and Community Medicine/Internal Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Cynthia.Cheng@jefferson.edu
Cynthia
C
Cheng
James J
JJ
Diamond
Bonita
B
Falkner
D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014664:Vasodilation; D044465:White People