Arterial stiffness and the development of hypertension - The ARIC study

Citation
Dp. Liao et al., Arterial stiffness and the development of hypertension - The ARIC study, HYPERTENSIO, 34(2), 1999, pp. 201-206
Citations number
22
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Journal title
HYPERTENSION
ISSN journal
0194911X → ACNP
Volume
34
Issue
2
Year of publication
1999
Pages
201 - 206
Database
ISI
SICI code
0194-911X(199908)34:2<201:ASATDO>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
Decreased elasticity in large and medium-sized arteries has been postulated to be associated with cardiovascular diseases. We prospectively examined t he relation between arterial elasticity and the development of hypertension over 6 years of follow-up in a cohort of 6992 normotensive men and women a ged 45 to 64 years at baseline from the biracial, population-based Atherosc lerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study. Arterial elasticity was measured from high-resolution B-mode ultrasound examination of the left common carot id artery as adjusted arterial diameter change (in micrometers, simultaneou sly adjusted for diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, pulse pressure s quared, diastolic arterial diameter, and height), Peterson's elastic modulu s (in kilopascals), Young's elastic modulus (in kilopascals), and beta stif fness index. Incident hypertension (n=551) was defined as systolic blood pr essure greater than or equal to 160 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95 mm Hg, or the use of antihypertensive medication at a follow-up examination conducted every 3 years. The age-, ethnicity-, center -, gender-, education-, smoking-, heart rate-, and obesity-adjusted means ( SE) of baseline adjusted arterial diameter change, Peterson's elastic modul us, Young's elastic modulus, and beta stiffness index were 397 (5), 148 (2. 0), 787 (12.7), and 11.43 (0.16), respectively, in persons who developed hy pertension during follow-up, in contrast to 407 (1), 124 (0.6), 681 (3.7), and 10.34 (0.05), respectively, for persons who did not. The similarly adju sted cumulative incident rates of hypertension from the highest to the lowe st quartiles of arterial elasticity were 6.7%, 8.0%, 7.3%, and 9.6%, respec tively, when measured by adjusted arterial diameter change (P<0.01). One st andard deviation decrease in arterial elasticity was associated with 15% gr eater risk of hypertension, independent of established risk factors for hyp ertension and the level of baseline blood pressure. These results suggest t hat lower arterial elasticity is related to the development of hypertension .