Preliminary research of relationship between vascular stiffness and heart function in patients with hypertension using ultrasonography / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To assess the relationship between arterial stiffness and heart function in patients with hypertension using ultrasonography. Methods A total of 167 patients with hypertension and 165 controls were enrolled, and the parameters of arterial stiffness and heart function were measured and calculated. The results were analyzed and compared. Results The ratio of peak early-diastolic mitral orifice flow velocity and peak early-diastolic mitral annular velocity in left ventricular posterior wall (E/e), and Tei index were significantly higher in hypertension group than in controls(E/e: 10.92±3.14 vs. 7.70 ±1.56, Teiindex: 0.58±0.13 vs. 0.45±0.09, both P＜0.05), but there was no significant difference in ejection fraction (EF) between the two groups. In hypertension group, the parameters of arterial stiffness including β value, pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), pulse wave velocity (PWVβ) and arterial compliance were 11.0±5.2, (172.6±83.8)kPa, (7.8±1.6) m/s and (0.6±0.2) mm2/ kPa. In control group, the corresponding data were 7.5±3.0, (97.1±45.4) kPa, (5.9±1.3) m/s and (0.8±0.3) mm2/kPa. There were significant differences between the two groups (all P＜0.05). The E/e was positively correlated with Ep and PWVβ(γ=0.316 and 0.296, both P＜0.05). The Tei index was positively correlated with Ep,augmentation index (AI) and PWVβ(γ=0.278, 0.300 and 0.323, P＜0.05-0.01). There was no significant correlation between EF and arterial stiffness. Conclusions The arterial stiffness and damage of heart function can result from hypertension. The arterial stiffness can be one of monitoring indexes for the heart function damage in early time.