Plasma ascorbic acid defficiency; a possible causative factor in development of essntial hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To find out ascorbic acid deficiency as a possible causative factor in development of essential hypertension. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty two male patients of essential hypertension [mild and moderate] between 40-55 years age were selected. Thirty one other healthy individuals of the same age and sex were also included in the study as controls. The mean plasma ascorbic acid levels were found to be 0.540: +/- 0.086 mg/dl, 0.372 +/- 0.068 and 0.216 +/- 0.077 mg/dl in normotensive control, mild and moderate essential hypertensive subjects. respectively. The data showed that P AA levels were significantly different in different groups depending upon the levels of blood pressure, being highest at lowest levels of blood pressure. The study showed that plasma ascorbic acid concentration had a moderate independent, inverse association with the systolic [r =0.891] and diastolic [r = 0.826] blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of systolic and diastolic hypertension increases with decrease in plasma ascorbic acid. The data suggested that plasma ascorbic acid deficiency may be one of the cause of essential hypertension in middle age male adults

Deranged serum lipids, a cause or effect of hypertension; serum lipids comparison between healthy and hypertensive subjects

OBJECTIVE: To find out deranged serum lipids, a cause or effect of raised blood pressure. SETTING: Punjab Institute of Cardiology Jail Road Lahore. DESIGN: Prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of ninety four male subjects between 40-55 years of age were included in the study. out of these sixty three were patients of hypertension, selected from outdoors, while the remaining thirty one were taken from general population as control for comparison. Depending upon the levels of blood pressure the hypertensive subjects were divided into mild [DBP 104 mm Hg] and moderate [DBP 114 mm Hg] hypertensive groups. The serum levels of total cholesterol, were 182.31 mg/dl +/- 28.08 mg/dl in normotensive control group while these values were 205.96 mg/dl +/- 15.79 mg/dl and 261.45 mg/dl ' 57.40 mg/dl in mild and moderate hypertensive subjects. The mean serum levels of HDL cholesterol in the above three groups were 45.25 +/- 4.35 mg/dl, 42.36 +/- 2.76 mg/dl and 37.66 +/- 3.45 mg/dl. The mean serum levels of LDL cholesterol as determined by applying the formula were 102.49 +/- 29.07 mg/dl, 128.98'21.69 mg/dl and 175.32 +/- 63.72 mg/dl and man serum levels of triglycerides were 176.75 +/- 42.45 mg/dl, 175.79 +/- 58.47 mg/dl and 200.44 +/- 102.82 mg/dl in normotensive, mild and moderate hypertensive subjects respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The serum total cholesterol was increased in the hypertensive group as compared to control group. The mean serum HDL cholesterol level was significantly lower in hypertensive than in normotensive control subjects. Similarly the mean serum LDL cholesterol was higher in hypertensive as compared to normotensive subjects, while serum triglycerides showed controversial results