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Increased hematocrit before blood pressure in men who develop hypertension over 20 years

Arne Strand1, Helga Gudmundsdottir, Aud Høieggen

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Journal of the American Society of Hypertension : JASH
|April 23, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Elevated hematocrit (Hct) levels in middle-aged men before high blood pressure onset may indicate early hemorheological changes. These changes precede cardiac alterations, suggesting Hct as a potential early hypertension marker.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hematology
  • Hypertension Research

Background:

  • Previous research linked neurohormonal activity to left ventricular (LV) mass prediction in men who later developed hypertension.
  • Understanding early indicators of cardiovascular and hemorheological changes before blood pressure elevation is crucial for hypertension prediction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate early markers of cardiac and hemorheological changes at baseline in men who subsequently developed hypertension.
  • To assess hematocrit (Hct) and electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters as predictors of future hypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 56 middle-aged men followed for 20 years, categorized into sustained hypertensives, developed hypertension, and sustained normotensives.
  • Baseline (age 42) and follow-up (age 62) assessments included ECG (Cornell voltage product, Sokolow-Lyon voltage), hematocrit (Hct), and echocardiographic LV parameters.
  • Statistical analyses included group comparisons, correlation, and regression to identify independent correlates of diastolic blood pressure (DBP).

Main Results:

  • No baseline ECG signs of LV hypertrophy were observed in any group.
  • Baseline Hct levels significantly discriminated between the groups (P = .015).
  • Baseline Hct correlated with DBP at baseline (r = 0.37, P = .006) and follow-up (r = 0.31, P = .020).
  • Regression analysis identified baseline Hct as an independent correlate of DBP at baseline (beta = .33, P = .013) and borderline significance at follow-up (beta = .26, P = .060).
  • Elevated baseline Hct suggests early activation of pathogenic hemorheological processes prior to cardiac changes in men who develop hypertension.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated baseline hematocrit may serve as an early indicator of hemorheological changes preceding hypertension development.
  • Hematocrit is a potential early predictive marker for hypertension in middle-aged men.
  • These findings highlight the importance of hemorheological factors in the early pathogenesis of hypertension.

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