title: The volume of the carotid bodies and blood pressure variability and pulse pressure in patients with essential hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the relationship between the volume of the carotid bodies (VrCB+lCB) examined by means of computed tomography angiography (CTA) and blood pressure variability and pulse pressure (PP) in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) in patients with essential hypertension.
  
  
  METHODS
  A group of 52 patients with essential hypertension was examined (mean age: 68.32±12.31 years), the sizes of carotid bodies were measured by means of carotid artery CTA, and 24-hour ABPM was carried out. The 24-hour ABPM established systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), PP, SBP variability (SBPV), and DBP variability (DBPV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  SBP, MAP, and SBPV were significantly higher in the group of hypertension patients with VrCB+lCB equal to or above the median than in the group of hypertension patients with VrCB+lCB less than the median, as well as in the group of hypertension patients with oversized carotid bodies, than in the group of hypertension patients with normal VrCB+lCB. Moreover, the PP was statistically significantly higher in the group of hypertension patients with VrCB+lCB equal to or above the median than in the group of hypertension patients with VrCB+lCB less than the median. The existence of statistically significant positive linear relationships was revealed between VrCB+lCB and SBP, PP, and SBPV. A higher body mass index, older age, smoking, and higher VrCB+lCB are independent risk factors increasing SBPV in the research group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A positive relationship between the size of the carotid bodies and variability of the SBP and PP is observed in patients with essential hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, 4th Military Hospital, Weigla 5, PL 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jaźwiec
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, 4th Military Hospital, Weigla 5, PL 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland. Electronic address: pawelgac@interia.pl.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gać
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 1, PL 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poręba
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Marcinkowskiego 1, PL 50-368 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sobieszczańska
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 213, PL 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 213, PL 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poręba
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002344:Carotid Body / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000072226:Computed Tomography Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity