EFFECTS OF BLOOD-PRESSURE CONTROL ON RADIAL ARTERY DIAMETER AND COMPLIANCE IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

The radial artery compliance may be paradoxically increased in untreat ed arterial hypertension. However, the effect of blood pressure normal ization on the radial artery compliance is not well known. We performe d a cross-sectional study in order to investigate the effects of blood pressure control on the radial artery diameter and compliance (echotr acking and digital photoplethysmography) by comparing these variables in a group of untreated hypertensive patients and in another group of adequately treated hypertensive patients as well as in a group of heal thy normotensive subjects. All groups were sex- and age-matched. Radia l artery internal diameter was increased in both untreated hypertensiv e patients and effectively treated hypertensive patients comparatively to controls. Cross-sectional compliance and volumic distensibility we re not different between groups. As compared to controls (2.85 +/- 0.3 9 x 10(-3) mm(2) x mm Hg-1 and 0.42 +/- 0.05 x 10(-3) mm Hg-1), isobar ic (100 mm Hg) compliance and distensibility were significantly increa sed in untreated hypertensive patients (4.46 +/- 0.44 and 0.65 +/- 0.0 7, P < .01) but not significantly different in treated hypertensive pa tients (3.19 +/- 0.33 and 0.45 +/- 0.04, P = NS). The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that compliance abnormalities of the rad ial artery, but not internal diameter changes may be reversed by effec tive therapeutic control of blood pressure in arterial hypertension. ( C) 1997 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.