title: The Effects of Arterial Hypertension and Age on the Sublingual Microcirculation of Healthy Volunteers and Outpatients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively assess the effects of age, blood pressure, chronic arterial hypertension, and physical activity on sublingual microcirculation in ambulatory volunteers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sublingual microcirculation was assessed in 61 volunteers with or without chronic arterial hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Volunteers with chronic arterial hypertension had lower TVD all vessels, and TVD small vessels and PVD small vessels than those without this condition (16.0 ± 1.4 vs. 17.2 ± 1.6 mm/mm(2), p < 0.01, 15.1 ± 1.3 vs. 16.1 ± 1.7 mm/mm(2), p < 0.04, and 15.1 ± 1.3 vs. 16.1 ± 1.7 mm/mm(2), p < 0.04, respectively). Mean blood pressure correlated with TVD all vessels (r = -0.34, p < 0.01), TVD small vessels (r = -0.31, p < 0.02), and PVD small vessels (r = -0.27, p < 0.04) but not with other microvascular variables. Age was not correlated with any microcirculatory variables. Physical activity correlated with TVDall vessels and RBCV small vessels (r = 0.30, p < 0.02 and r = -0.47, p < 0.001, respectively). Chronic arterial hypertension was the only independent determinant of PVD small vessels .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preexistent chronic arterial hypertension was associated with lower vascular densities. In contrast, age showed no effect on sublingual microcirculation.
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.|Hospital Fernández, Buenos Aires, Argentina.|Translational Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vanina S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Kanoore Edul
authors.affiliation: Translational Physiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ince
authors.affiliation: Hospital San Martín, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estenssoro
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.|Hospital San Martín, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrara
authors.affiliation: Sanatorio Las Lomas, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Yanina
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arzani
authors.affiliation: Sanatorio Otamendi y Miroli, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Salvatori
authors.affiliation: Cátedra de Farmacología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.|Sanatorio Otamendi y Miroli, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Arnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000098:blood supply*; D010045:Outpatients; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: age; chronic arterial hypertension; exercise; sublingual microcirculation