[Correlation study between carotid atherosclerosis and hypertension].

Area of Science:

• Vascular Biology
• Cardiology
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background:

• Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.
• Carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) is a major cause of stroke.
• Phlegm-stasis syndrome (PSS) is a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine often associated with circulatory issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between carotid atherosclerosis and hypertension.
• To compare CAS occurrence and characteristics in hypertensive patients with and without phlegm-stasis syndrome (PSS).

Main Methods:

• Color Doppler ultrasonography was used to assess CAS in 150 hypertensive patients (70 PSS, 80 non-PSS) and 30 controls.
• CAS incidence and plaque characteristics (hard vs. soft plaque) were compared across the three groups.
• Vascular parameters of the carotid arteries were measured.

Main Results:

• CAS incidence was significantly higher in both hypertensive groups (PSS and non-PSS) compared to controls (P<0.01).
• The PSS group exhibited a higher incidence of CAS than the non-PSS group (P<0.05).
• The PSS group showed a significantly higher ratio of soft plaque (41.9%) compared to the non-PSS group (11.4%, P<0.05).
• Hypertensive groups displayed increased inner diameters and resistance indices in carotid and vertebral arteries compared to controls (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Hypertension is frequently associated with varying degrees of carotid atherosclerosis.
• Patients with hypertension and PSS have a higher proportion of soft plaque, indicating a potentially elevated risk of target organ damage, such as cerebral infarction.
• These findings highlight the importance of assessing CAS in hypertensive patients, especially those with PSS.