Inflammation and Arterial Hypertension-Pathophysiological Links and Clinical Aspects

Arterial hypertension represents one of the most common pathologies in the adult population. Hypertensive patients have structurally altered arteries, with a higher rigidity that leads to a significant decrease in vascular compliance. At the base of the pathophysiological process stands the inflammation, as a reaction of the organism to injury.

This study aims to highlight clinical-paraclinical correlations in people diagnosed with arterial hypertension and inflammatory status. Thus, we would like to evaluate possible correlations between the usual inflammatory markers and blood pressure values.

The sample comprises 64 adults who were subsequently divided based on the diagnosis of arterial hypertension, by using Automatic Blood Pressure Monitoring, as following: Study group=26 patients (with arterial hypertension) and Control group: 38 patients (without arterial hypertension).

The study has revealed negative correlations between the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the general diastolic average (r=-0.248 and p=0.047), the diurnal diastolic average (r=-0.258 and p=0.038) and the diurnal mean arterial pressure (r=-0.249 and p=0.046) and a negative correlation between the red cell distribution width (RDW) and the dipping index (r=-0.402 and p=0.013), each of them accomplishing the level of statistical significance.

NLR can be used as a predictor of diastolic blood pressure values and as a factor of prognosis for the evolution of arterial hypertension. RDW is higher in non-dipping patients.