ABNORMALITIES OF LIPID-METABOLISM AND ARTERIAL RIGIDITY IN YOUNG SUBJECTS WITH BORDERLINE HYPERTENSION

Plasma lipoprotein levels and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, use d as a marker of aortic ridigity, were evaluated in 53 young subjects with borderline hypertension by comparison with normotensive controls of the same age and body surface area. Subjects with body weight exces s, exaggerated alcohol intake, and/or tobacco consumption were exclude d from the study. Borderline hypertensive patients were characterized by significantly higher values of pulse wave velocity and plasma level s of glucose, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein subfraction HDL3, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein (a). There were no group/sex i nteractions. A significant dyslipidemia was observed in 13 males of th e 53 borderline hypertensive subjects. Only in this subgroup did subje cts exhibit a strong positive relationship between pulse wave velocity and either plasma total cholesterol or apolipoprotein B. The correlat ion was observed even after adjustment for blood pressure. The study p rovides evidence that, in young males with borderline hypertension, so me abnormalities of plasma lipoproteins requiring treatment may be pre sent and are associated with an increased stiffness of the arterial wa ll.