[Association between total antioxidant status and atherosclerosis in elderly patients with essential hypertension]

To investigate the association between plasma total antioxidant status (TAS) and association with brachial-ankle pulsewave velocity (baPWV) in the elderly patients with essential hypertension(EH).

A total of 133 consecutive EH patients older than 60 years were enrolled and another 92 elderly non-EH healthy subjects served as control. According to blood pressure level, EH patients were further classified into three subgroups. The concentration of plasma total antioxidant status was measured by using chemical luminescence method. High-sensitive CRP, urine microalbumin, uric acid, blood lipids and blood glucose levels were also measured. Carotid intima-media thickness was determined by color Doppler ultrasonography and the degree of arteriosclerosis was investigated with baPWV and ankle-brachial index (ABI).

(1) Plasma levels of TAS in EH patients were significant lower than in control group [(1.123 ± 0.126)mmol/L vs. (1.258 ± 0.125) mmol/L, P < 0.05], and were similar among hypertension subgroups (P > 0.05).(2) Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, high-sensitive CRP, UA were dependent variables of TAS. Multivariate regression analysis showed that high-sensitivity CRP, UA were independent factors affecting TAS (β = -0.03, standardized β = -0.01, P < 0.05). (3) Compared with the control group, baPWV was significantly higher in elderly EH patients left baPWV (1914 ± 341) cm/s vs. (1817 ± 322) cm/s, right baPWV (1899 ± 330) cm/s vs. (1772 ± 345) cm/s(P < 0.05)and baPWV tended to increase with the level of blood pressure of EH group (P < 0.05) . (4) After adjusting for age, CRP, UA, partial correlation analysis showed that plasma TAS was negatively correlated with baPWV (r = -0.459, P < 0.05).

Our results indicate that TAS and arterial elasticity are decreased while arterial stiffness is increased in elderly hypertensive patients. The decline in antioxidant capacity may be responsible for vascular damage and arterial elasticity decrease in elderly EH patients.