[Structural-functional characteristics of cervical vessels in hypertensive patients under changed atmospheric...

The ultrasonic location technique was used to measure intima-media thickness (IMT), as well as internal systolic diameter of and linear blood velocity in the cervical arteries in people with initial hypertension. Correlation analysis elicited a temporal contingency between these parameters and daily average values of atmospheric pressure. Thus, common carotid artery IMT tended to increase on high-pressure days. Besides, diameters of the common and internal carotid arteries, and vertebral artery were narrowed and, consequently, linear blood velocity in these vessels increased. This relationship is more evident in men than women and in elderly subjects than young. These results are suggestive of a vasoconstrictive action of high atmospheric pressure on these arteries. The relationship is not universal, as it is nonlinear for diameter of the internal carotid artery and inverse for the external one. This implies different sensitivity of arteries to the factor under study and possible blood redistribution in the arterial basin depending on external pressure. The relationship was observed equally on the day of investigation and previous days, which points to its temporal stability.