ASSOCIATION OF PLATELET-FUNCTION IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS WITH LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY, TRANSIENT MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA, AND CORONARY-ARTERY DISEASE

The aim of the study was to evaluate how platelet aggregation relates to left ventricular hypertrophy, presence of transient myocardial isch emia and coronary atherosclerosis in essential hypertensive patients. For that purpose platelet aggregation, symptom-limited treadmill-test, echocardiography and coronary angiography were performed in 65 male p atients with uncomplicated essential hypertension. Aggregation was mon itored both by a turbidometric method and by a method based on real-ti me estimation of mean aggregate size. Platelet function was also studi ed in 18 male normotensive subjects. Hypertensive patients with transi ent myocardial ischemia were characterized by increased platelet sensi tivity to adenosine diphosphate, thromboxane A(2) mimetic-U46619, sero tonin, platelet activating factor and by increased spontaneous aggrega bility of platelets compared with normotensive subjects and to patient s without myocardial ischemia, Platelet aggregation induced by low dos es of agonists positively correlated with the degree of left ventricul ar hypertrophy, This study provides evidence that platelets play an im portant role in myocardial ischemia, Besides, it was found that platel et activity positively correlated with the degree of left ventricular hypertrophy, This may provide an additional link between left ventricu lar hypertrophy and coronary heart disease in hypertensive patients.