title: Serum cystatin C concentration as an independent marker for hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Serum cystatin C levels can be used to predict morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease. However, the clinical relevance of serum cystatin C levels in patients with hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has rarely been investigated. We designed the present study to investigate whether serum cystatin C levels are associated with cardiac structural and functional alterations in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 823 hypertensive patients and classified them into two groups: those with LVH (n = 287) and those without LVH (n = 536). All patients underwent echocardiography and serum cystatin C testing. We analyzed the relationship between serum cystatin C levels and LVH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum cystatin C levels were higher in hypertensive patients with LVH than in those without LVH (P < 0.05). Using linear correlation analysis, we found a positive correlation between serum cystatin C levels and interventricular septal thickness (r = 0.247, P < 0.01), posterior wall thickness (r = 0.216, P < 0.01), and left ventricular weight index (r = 0.347, P < 0.01). When analyzed by multiple linear regression, the positive correlations remained between serum cystatin C and interventricular septal thickness (β = 0.167, P < 0.05), posterior wall thickness (β = 0.187, P < 0.05), and left ventricular weight index (β = 0.245, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum cystatin C concentration is an independent marker for hypertensive LVH.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: You-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xue
keywords: Cystatin C; Hypertension; Left ventricular hypertrophy