title: Preserved capillary density of dorsal finger skin in treated hypertensive patients with or without type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Capillary rarefaction is a hallmark of untreated hypertension. Recent data indicate that rarefaction may be reversed by antihypertensive treatment in nondiabetic hypertensive patients. Despite the frequent association of diabetes with hypertension, nothing is known on the capillary density of treated diabetic patients with hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 21 normotensive healthy, 25 hypertensive only, and 21 diabetic (type 2) hypertensive subjects. All hypertensive patients were treated with a blocker of the renin-angiotensin system, and a majority had a home blood pressure ≤135/85 mmHg. Capillary density was assessed with videomicroscopy on dorsal finger skin and with laser Doppler imaging on forearm skin (maximal vasodilation elicited by local heating).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between any of the study groups in either dorsal finger skin capillary density (controls 101 ± 11 capillaries/mm(2) , nondiabetic hypertensive 99 ± 16, diabetic hypertensive 96 ± 18, p > 0.5) or maximal blood flow in forearm skin (controls 666 ± 114 perfusion units, nondiabetic hypertensive 612 ± 126, diabetic hypertensive 620 ± 103, p > 0.5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irrespective of the presence or not of type 2 diabetes, capillary density is normal in hypertensive patients with reasonable control of blood pressure achieved with a blocker of the renin-angiotensin system.
authors.affiliation: Division de Physiopathologie Clinique, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aellen
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dabiri
authors.forename: Abigael
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heim
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liaudet
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Burnier
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Feihl
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Waeber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D018715:Microscopy, Video; D008875:Middle Aged; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000187:drug effects; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*