HEMOSTASIS BALANCE DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH ESSENTIAL-HYPERTENSION

This study was aimed at investigating haemostasis parameters in patien ts (pts) with arterial hypertension (AH) before any medical treatment and to correlate these findings with those in healthy normal Greek pop ulation. 83 pts (48m, 35w) mean age 49.8+/-10.1 yrs, body mass index 2 3.4+/-1.5 with mild to moderate AH and 42 healthy volunteers matched f or sex (24m, 18w), age 51.2+/-10.5 yrs and body mass index 22.8+/-1.46 were studied. Fibrinogen, vWF, plasminogen, ECLT, a(2) antiplasmin, t PA-Ag, PAI-1 in all pts and in the control group were measured. Mean a ge and BMI did not significantly differ between the two groups. The hy pertensive patients had significantly higher levels of fibrinogen (327 .75+/-51.36 vs. 272.84+/-46.8 mg/dl), tPA-Ag (8.81+/-3.32 vs. 5.76+/-2 .54 ng/ml) and PAI-1 (11.8+/-10.9 vs. 7.91+/-5.5 IU/ml), whereas a(2) antiplasmin level was significantly lower (98.71+/-15.40 vs. 107.84+/- 17.52 %). No differences were found between hypertensives and normal s ubjects in vWF, plasminogen and ECLT. These preliminary data suggest t hat in pts with mild to moderate AH, before any medical treatment, the re are significantly higher levels of fibrinogen, tPA-Ag and PAI 1 com pared with normal volunteers, whereas there are significantly lower a antiplasmin levels. These findings indicate a disturbance in the haemo stasis balanc with hypercoagulability and fibrinolytic deficiency. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.