title: Hypokalemia correlated with arterial stiffness but not microvascular endothelial function in patients with primary aldosteronism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypokalemia in primary aldosteronism (PA) patients correlates with higher levels of cardiovascular events and altered left ventricular geometry. However, the influence of aldosterone on microvascular endothelial function and the effect of hypokalemia on the vascular structure still remain unclear.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the peripheral arterial functions, including the endothelial function of microvasculature and arterial stiffness in PA and essential hypertension (EH) patients, and the correlation between hypokalemia and peripheral arterial function among PA patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients diagnosed as EH and 37 patients with PA were enrolled in this study. Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) and the augmentation index (AI) were obtained by non-invasive peripheral arterial tonometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty EH patients and a total of 37 PA patients, including 21 patients with normokalemia and 16 patients with hypokalemia, were enrolled and divided into groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively. PA patients had significantly higher AI (p=0.024) but not RHI than EH patients. RHI showed no difference between groups 1, 2 and 3. Group 3 had higher AI than either group 1 or group 2. In the whole study population, serum potassium level, after multivariate regression analysis testing, was the only factor associated with AI (ß= -0.102; p=0.002). In PA patients, serum potassium level was the only significant factor correlated with AI. (r= -0.458; p=0.004) CONCLUSIONS: PA patients had higher arterial stiffness but comparable microvascular endothelial function to EH patients. Hypokalemia correlated with arterial stiffness but not microvascular endothelial function in PA patients.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division of Cardiovascular Medical Center, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Yao
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Woodhull Medical and Mental Hospital, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ying-Hsien
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Vin-Cent
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan General Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Xue-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan austinr34@gmail.com ad224413@ms2.hinet.net.
authors.forename: Yen-Hung
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Lwun
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Kwan-Dun
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry; D055806:Microvessels / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Primary aldosteronism; arterial stiffness; augmentation index; hypokalemia; peripheral arterial tonometry