Carotid remodeling in essential hypertension: Role of blood pressure, indexed parameters, and association with cardiac mass and aortic stiffness

The role of blood pressure on carotid remodeling, using no indexed and inde xed parameters, was studied in essential hypertension. Carotid parameters w ere also compared to cardiac mass and aortic stiffness. Forty untreated hyp ertensive men had echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography and carotid-fem oral pulse wave velocity measurements. Cross-sectional area index was assoc iated essentially with the 24-hour systolic blood pressure whereas intima-m edia thickness was related especially to the 24-hour pulse pressure. Caroti d intima-media thickness and cross-sectional area indexes were less related to blood pressure variables than non-indexed parameters. There is an indep endent association between 24-hour pulse pressure and left ventricular mass index and pulse wave velocity. To conclude, blood pressure, particularly p ulse pressure, is associated with vascular and cardiac alterations. The ind exation by the body surface area do not provide any additional information in the association between carotid and blood pressure parameters.