RESUMO
Background: previous studies have demonstrated that vascular endothelial dysfunction is related to the degree and patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH] in patients with essential hypertension [HTN]. However, it is not clear whether endothelial dysfunction develops with the progression of LV diastolic dysfunction
Objectives: we sought to assess the correlation between endothelial vasodilation and LV diastolic function in essential HTN
Methods: using high-resolution ultrasound, we measured the dilator response of the brachial artery to hyperemia [endothelium dependent vasodilation] and to 0.5 mg nitroglycerin [endothelium independent vasodilation], and measured peak velocities of the early wave [Evmax] and the atrial wave [Avmax] in 100 patients with essential HTN and 20 normal subjects. We analyzed the relationship between the Evmax/Avmax ratio and endothelium-dependent vasodilation
Results: the results showed that endothelium-dependent and endothelium independent vasodilation as well as the Evmax/Avmax ratio was lower in the hypertensive group than those in the control group were [5.2% +/- 1.2%, 1 2.4% +/- 2.1%, 0.8 +/- 0.2 vs. 10.5% +/- 2.4%, 22.2% +/- 3.3% 2.1 +/- 0.29, respectively; P<0.01]. There was a positive significant correlation between Avmax ratio and endothelium-dependent vasodilation [r= 0.58, P<0.01]
Conclusions: our results showed that the development of endothelial dysfunction was associated with the progression of myocardial diastolic dysfunction in patients with essential HTN, which suggests that the same mechanisms may be involved in the impairment of endothelium and myocardium