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Effects of low-dose aspirin on endothelial function in hypertensive patients
H Monobe1, H Yamanari, K Nakamura
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Okayama University Medical School, Japan.
Insights
Low-dose aspirin improved blood vessel function in hypertensive patients by restoring endothelium-dependent vasodilation. This suggests aspirin enhances nitric oxide production, benefiting cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Low-dose aspirin is known to reduce cardiovascular events in hypertensive and coronary artery disease patients.
- Its preventative effects are attributed to inhibiting platelet aggregation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if low-dose aspirin administration restores endothelium-dependent vasodilation in hypertensive patients.
Main Methods:
- Assessed flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilatation and glyceryl trinitrate-induced endothelium-independent dilatation in 18 hypertensive patients and 10 controls.
- Measured plasma cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) before and after 8 weeks of 162 mg daily aspirin in hypertensive patients.
Main Results:
- Hypertensive patients had significantly reduced flow-mediated dilatation compared to controls (6.4% vs. 11.3%).
- Aspirin administration improved flow-mediated dilatation in hypertensive patients (from 6.4% to 10.4%).
- Plasma cGMP levels were significantly higher after aspirin treatment.
Conclusions:
- Low-dose aspirin may restore endothelium-dependent vasodilation in hypertension.
- Increased nitric oxide production likely contributes to aspirin's beneficial effects on endothelial function.
Background:
It has been reported that administration of low-dose aspirin significantly reduces the frequency of major cardiovascular events in patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease. It is generally considered that the preventative effects of long-term aspirin administration on major cardiovascular events are due to the inhibition of platelet aggregation.
Hypothesis:
It is not known whether administration of low-dose aspirin restores endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, and this study was undertaken to prove or disprove this question in patients with hypertension.
Methods:
Flow-mediated endothelium-dependent dilatation and glyceryl trinitrate-induced endothelium-independent dilatation were investigated in 18 hypertensive patients and 10 normotensive control subjects. In the hypertensive patients, flow-mediated dilatation was investigated and cyclic guanosine monophosphate plasma (cGMP) was measured before and at 8 weeks after the administration of 162 mg of aspirin.
Results:
Flow-mediated dilatation before aspirin administration was more reduced in the hypertensive patients than in the control subjects (6.4+/-2.0% vs. 11.3+/-2.3%, p <0.0001). Glyceryl trinitrate-induced dilatation before aspirin administration was similar in hypertensive patients and control subjects. Flow-mediated dilatation after aspirin administration was improved compared with that before aspirin administration (10.4+/-3.5% vs. 6.4+/-2.0%, p<0.0004). The cGMP product after aspirin administration was significantly higher than that before aspirin administration.
Conclusions:
Administration of low-dose aspirin may restore the endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in hypertensive patients. Furthermore, increased nitric oxide production may play a partial role in the improvement in endothelial function induced by administration of low-dose aspirin.