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Target organ status and cardiovascular risk in borderline hypertension
D Melina1, F Colivicchi, G Melina
1Istituto di Patologia Medica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italia.
Insights
Borderline hypertension may indicate early target organ damage. Echocardiography detected left ventricular hypertrophy in 16.6% of men, suggesting increased cardiac risk and aiding prognostic stratification.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Borderline hypertension is a precursor to sustained hypertension.
- Early identification of target organ damage is crucial for cardiovascular risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of target organ damage in men with borderline hypertension.
- To evaluate the utility of noninvasive cardiovascular assessments for risk stratification.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography, electrocardiography, fundoscopy, and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were performed.
- 78 men with borderline hypertension and 67 normotensive controls were included.
Main Results:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 16.6% of borderline hypertensive subjects via echocardiography.
- No electrocardiographic or fundoscopic abnormalities were observed.
Conclusions:
- Echocardiography can identify a subset of borderline hypertensive individuals with increased cardiac risk.
- Noninvasive cardiovascular assessment improves prognostic stratification in borderline hypertension.
Abstract:
In order to assess the prevalence of target organ damage 78 men with borderline hypertension, according to the World Health Organization criteria, and 67 normotensive controls underwent echocardiographic, electrocardiographic and fundoscopic examination, followed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring for 24 hours. Echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy was found in 13 borderline hypertensive subjects (16.6%), while no electrocardiographic or fundoscopic abnormalities could be detected. Our data suggest that noninvasive assessment of cardiovascular status, including echocardiography, allows recognition of a subset of borderline subjects with an increased risk for subsequent cardiac morbid events, thereby improving prognostic stratification.