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Carotid atherosclerosis in elderly hypertensive patients: potential role of endothelin and plasma antioxidant capacity

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 24, pages 538–544 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) and oxidative stress are involved in the development of hypertension-induced cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between plasma ET-1 level and plasma antioxidant capacity and carotid atherosclerosis. In 61 treated patients with hypertension (44 women, 35 diabetics, mean age 72.4±7.2 years) medical histories, ambulatory blood pressure, blood tests (glucose, creatinine, cholesterol, haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), ET-1) and common carotid artery intima–media thickness (CCA-IMT) measurement were carried out. Plasma antioxidant capacity was assessed by the ferric-reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). Subjects with diabetes presented with higher concentrations of glucose (7.01±2.3 vs 5.14±0.6 mmol l−1, P<0.001), HbA1c (7.75±2.1 vs 6.1±1.2%, P<0.001) and ET-1 (1.36±0.53 vs 1.01±0.4 pg ml−1, P<0.01), and lower cholesterol level (5.02±0.8 vs 5.86±1.3 mmol l−1, P<0.01). A significant positive correlation between CCA-IMT and ET-1 plasma concentration (r=0.40, P<0.001) and reverse relationship between CCA-IMT and FRAP (r=−0.36, P<0.01) was observed. In a stepwise regression analysis, after adjustment for all confounders, CCA-IMT was independently influenced by age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), HbA1c and ET-1. When FRAP was included in the regression model, CCA-IMT was significantly influenced by age, FRAP, HbA1c and SBP. ET-1 promotes the increase in CCA-IMT contributing to the development of end-organ damage. Plasma antioxidant capacity may modulate this deleterious effect, but whether better antioxidant defence may prevent against the development of atherosclerosis remains to be elucidated.

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  1. Department of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland

    A B Skalska & T Grodzicki

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Correspondence to A B Skalska.

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Skalska, A., Grodzicki, T. Carotid atherosclerosis in elderly hypertensive patients: potential role of endothelin and plasma antioxidant capacity. J Hum Hypertens 24, 538–544 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2009.97

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