Study Of The Relationship Between Ambulatory Arterial Stiffness Index And Carotid Artery Atherosclerosis As Well As Left Ventricular Hypertrophy In Patients With Essential Hypertension

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between ambulatory arterial stiffness index(AASI) and the carotid artery atherosclerosis as well as left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) in Patients with Essential Hypertension. Methods110 untreated or stop taking anti-hypertensive drugs at least five half-lives outpatients and inpatients with Essential Hypertension in Yong’an Municiple Hospital from January to December in 2013 were studied. All patients were assessed for carotid artery intima-media thickness(IMT) by color Doppler ultrasound. According to the result of IMT, the patients were divided into two groups: atherosclerosis group(CAS,n=52) and non-atherosclerosis group(Non-CAS,n=58). 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(ABPM), the mean blood pressures(systolic and diastolic blood pressure),the blood pressure standard deviations of 24 h that included daytime and nighttime, and the BVP, blood pressure circadian rhythm and AASI were compared between the 2 groups. Left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) of patients evaluated by the left ventricular mass index(LVMI) also compared between the CAS and Non-CAS groups.Results1. There were all 110 cases(mean age 69.1±10.5 years,56 males and 54 females)in the study. There were 52 patients in CAS group(mean age 70.9±11.1 years,29 males and 23 females) and 58 patients in Non-CAS group( mean age 67.4±10.1 years,27 males and 31 females).2. The 24 hours mean systolic blood pressure(24h SBP), daytime mean systolic blood pressure(d SBP) and nighttime mean systolic blood pressure(n SBP) were higher in CAS group than those in Non-CAS group respectively(P<0.01).However the differences of 24 hours mean diastolic blood pressure(24h DBP), daytime mean diastolic blood pressure standard deviation(d DBP) and nighttime mean diastolic blood pressure(n DBP) between the 2 groups showed no statistically significance(P>0.05).3. The percentage rate of non-dipping hypertension in CAS group(65.1%) was higher than that in Non-CAS group( 55.2%)(P<0.05).4. The blood pressure variability of 24 h, daytime and night-time in the CAS group were higher than those in the Non-CAS group respectively(P<0.05).5. AASI in CAS group was higher than that in Non-CAS group(P<0.05).6. IVST, LVPWT, LVM and LVMI of CAS group were higher than those of Non-CAS group respectively(P<0.05);the percentage rate of LVH in CAS group(61.5%) was higher than that in Non-CAS group(46.6%)(P<0.05).7. AASI was positively correlated with either IMT(r=0.578,P<0.001)or LVMI(r=0.657,P<0.0001)in patients with essential hypertension. Conclusions1. ABPM levels,BVP,non-dipping hypertension circadian pattern and percent of LVH were higher respectively in CAS group than those in Non-CAS group.2. AASI was correlation with IMT and LVMI which might predict target-organ damage of hypertensive patients.