ABSTRACT
In hypertensive patients, diastolic dysfunction is related to increased resistive index (RI) of parenchymal renal arteries. To determine the existence of a link between RI of the main renal arteries (RRI) and diastolic dysfunction, a group of 127 hypertensive patients, with glomerular filtration rates >50 mL/min (mean estimated glomerular filtration rate: 88.6 ± 15.2 mL/min) and no comorbidities, was studied. RRI and transmitral flow were evaluated using the deceleration time (DT) and E/A ratio. A statistically significant correlation between RRI and DT (>240 ms) was noted (p < 0.001). The RRI cutoff that best discriminated patients with DT >240 ms was 0.675. For each unitary increment of 10 mm in DT, the log-transformed RRI significantly increased by a mean of 0.006 point (p < 0.001). This study revealed the importance of the link between RRI and transmitral DT in addition to the renowned significance of the increase in RI as a cardiovascular risk factor in hypertensive patients without comorbidities.
