[Examination of skin microcirculation with laser-Doppler flowmetry in patients with essential hypertension]

The estimation of microcirculatory parameters in patients with essential hypertension and in normotensic control group was the aim of this study. The study group consisted of 14 patients with essential hypertension confirmed by 24-hours ABP. 10 healthy patients served as control group. The flow in the skin microcirculation was measured by laser-Doppler flowmeter (PF-3, PERIMED) on dorsal part of the palm. Microcirculatory indices were registered in resting conditions, during one-minute occlusion reaction and during reactive hyperemia. The following indices were calculated: resting flow, biological zero, maximal flow, time to maximal flow, ratio of maximal to resting flow, ratio of resting flow to biological zero and ratio of maximal flow to biological zero. Skin microcirculation was highly disturbed in patients with essential hypertension. It was expressed by significantly higher biological zero and longer time to maximal flow.