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[Plasma endothelin level in hypertensive patients receiving standard anti-hypertensive therapy with or without

Xiao-Hong Liu1, Yi-Fei Li, Chun-Lin Lai

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Shanxi Province People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China. docliuxh@126.com

Zhonghua Xin Xue Guan Bing Za Zhi
|February 5, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Plasma endothelin (ET) levels correlate with essential hypertension (EH) severity. Simvastatin effectively lowers ET and blood pressure in EH patients, suggesting a beneficial combination therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Endocrinology
  • Pharmacology

Context:

  • Essential hypertension (EH) is a complex condition often associated with elevated plasma endothelin (ET) levels.
  • Complications of EH, such as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), atrial fibrillation (AF), and lacunar infarction (LI), may further influence ET concentrations.
  • The role of statins in modulating ET levels in hypertensive patients remains an area of investigation.

Purpose:

  • To investigate the association between plasma ET concentration and blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension (EH), with or without complications.
  • To evaluate the potential impact of simvastatin on ET levels in EH patients.
  • To explore the correlation between ET levels and the severity of hypertension and its complications.

Summary:

  • Plasma ET concentrations were significantly higher in EH patients compared to controls, and further elevated in EH with LVH, AF, or LI.
  • ET levels positively correlated with blood pressure severity, left atrial diameter in EH-AF, and left ventricular mass index in EH-LVH.
  • Simvastatin treatment led to a significant decrease in ET levels in class 2 and 3 hypertension, and a more pronounced reduction in blood pressure in class 3 hypertension compared to routine treatment.

Impact:

  • Findings indicate a strong positive correlation between ET levels and EH severity, including its complications.
  • Simvastatin demonstrates a therapeutic benefit by reducing ET levels and improving blood pressure control in EH patients.
  • The results suggest that a combined therapeutic approach of antihypertensive drugs and statins may be beneficial for managing essential hypertension.
Abstract

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