Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Ultrasonic Assessment of Myocardial Microstructure
Published on: January 14, 2014
Blood pressure normalization is associated with normal left ventricular mass but not carotid geometry: the ICARe
Riccardo Pini1, M Chiara Cavallini, Loredana Staglianò
1Department of Critical Care Medicine and Surgery - Unit of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Firenze and the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze, Italy. rpini@unifi.it
Insights
Antihypertensive treatment helps control left ventricular mass in older adults, but arterial changes and atherosclerosis are independent of treatment. However, treatment improves carotid artery compliance.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Gerontology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Limited data exist on arterial structure changes from blood pressure reduction.
- Studies often focus on ventricular hypertrophy rather than arterial remodeling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare arterial structure and left ventricular mass in normotensive, untreated hypertensive, and treated hypertensive (controlled/uncontrolled) older adults.
- To investigate the impact of antihypertensive treatment and blood pressure control on arterial remodeling and cardiac structure.
Main Methods:
- Community-based study of 614 older adults (age >= 65) in Italy.
- Utilized clinical examination, echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, and applanation tonometry.
- Classified participants into normotensive, untreated hypertensive, uncontrolled hypertensive, and controlled hypertensive groups.
Main Results:
- Controlled hypertensives had left ventricular mass index similar to normotensives, but lower than uncontrolled/untreated groups.
- Carotid artery structure and atherosclerosis showed no significant differences among hypertensive groups.
- Antihypertensive treatment reduced pressure-independent arterial stiffness and increased carotid artery compliance, irrespective of blood pressure control.
Conclusions:
- Antihypertensive treatment is associated with normal left ventricular mass in older adults only when blood pressure is well controlled.
- Carotid artery remodeling and atherosclerosis appear independent of antihypertensive treatment and blood pressure control.
- Antihypertensive treatment improves carotid artery compliance, even without significant structural changes.
Objective:
While many studies have examined the relation between antihypertensive treatment and ventricular hypertrophy, relatively few data are available regarding changes in arterial structure due to blood pressure reduction. Therefore, we compared normotensive to untreated hypertensive subjects to uncontrolled (treated with elevated blood pressure values) or controlled (treated with normal blood pressure values) hypertensive older subjects.
Patients:
Community-dwellers (age >or= 65 years) of a small town in Italy (Dicomano) underwent extensive clinical examination, echocardiography, carotid ultrasonography, and applanation tonometry. Of the 614 participants, 173 subjects were normotensive; among the hypertensive subjects, 225 were untreated (51%), 177 (40%) were uncontrolled, and only 39 (9%) were controlled.
Results:
The majority of treated hypertensive subjects were on monotherapy (82%). Subjects with a history of coronary artery disease or stroke were more frequently treated. Controlled hypertensives had left ventricular mass index similar to normotensives but lower than uncontrolled and untreated hypertensives. There were no differences among the three hypertensive groups in carotid artery structure. Only the pressure-independent stiffness index was reduced in the treated hypertensive subjects compared to untreated hypertensives, with no difference between controlled and uncontrolled subjects.
Conclusions:
In our community-based, older population, antihypertensive treatment was associated with a normal left ventricular mass only when blood pressure was well controlled. In contrast, carotid artery remodeling and atherosclerosis were independent of antihypertensive treatment as well as of achievement of satisfactory blood pressure control. However, antihypertensive treatment was associated with significantly higher carotid compliance even in the absence of detectable changes in carotid structure.
More Related Videos
09:24O-Ring Aortic Banding Versus Traditional Transverse Aortic Constriction for Modeling Pressure Overload-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy
Published on: October 6, 2022
09:43Multimodal Study of Murine Cardiovascular Remodeling: Four-Dimensional Ultrasound and Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Published on: January 10, 2025
Related Concept Videos
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI
01:26Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:29Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
01:17Measurement of Blood Pressure
01:28Special considerations while measuring blood pressure
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.