Proximal aortic diameter evolution in hypertensive patients with mild-to-moderate aortic dilatation: a 5-year...

Aortic dilatation is common in hypertensive patients and is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular events. Parameters predicting further dilatation during lifetime are poorly understood.

To predict the midterm aortic diameter evolution in a cohort of hypertensive patients with known aortic dilatation at Sinus of Valsalva (SOV) level.

We prospectively analyzed a cohort of essential hypertensive outpatients without any other known risk factor for aortic dilatation. They underwent serial echocardiographic evaluations from 2003 to 2016.

Two hundred and forty-two hypertensive outpatients with a mild-to-moderate (37-53 mm) aortic dilatation were followed up for at least 5 years. Mean growth rate was 0.08 ± 0.35 mm/year. No clinical or anthropometric parameters were significantly different in patients with and without aortic diameter increase. Aortic z score (number of standard deviations from the average value observed in the general population) at baseline was inversely associated with growth rate (R 0.04, P < 0.05). Aortic diameter at first visit, demographic and echocardiographic variables were major determinants of aortic diameter at second visit, accounting for about 90% of its total variability.

Mean growth rate of proximal aorta in hypertensive patients with known aortic dilatation was of about 0.1 mm/year. Dilatation over time is slower in patients with increased rather than normal aortic z score. Eventually, it could be possible to reliably predict aortic diameter at few months from first visit.