Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and subclinical atherosclerosis in essential hypertensive patients
Luigi Petramala1, Francesco Circosta2, Leonardo Cremonesi2
1Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Insights
The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is linked to higher blood pressure and more organ damage in hypertension patients. This accessible biomarker may help identify those at higher risk for cardiovascular issues.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Biomarkers
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Arterial hypertension is a key driver of organ damage and atherosclerosis.
- Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a validated biomarker for adverse outcomes in cardiovascular diseases.
- Essential hypertension patients often have undiagnosed subclinical organ damage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the clinical utility of NLR as a biomarker for subclinical atherosclerotic damage in essential hypertension.
- To investigate the correlation between NLR and cardiovascular comorbidities in hypertensive individuals.
Main Methods:
- 346 essential hypertension patients were enrolled between January and November 2024.
- Data collected included medical history, anthropometrics, biochemical analyses, and subclinical organ damage markers.
- Exclusion criteria included existing cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases.
Main Results:
- Higher NLR correlated with elevated blood pressure, polypharmacy, dyslipidemia, and sleep apnea.
- Elevated NLR was associated with increased left ventricular mass, carotid atherosclerosis, and microalbuminuria.
- NLR demonstrated a significant correlation with cardiovascular comorbidities and subclinical organ damage.
Conclusions:
- NLR is a valuable surrogate biomarker for subclinical organ damage in essential hypertension.
- NLR can help identify hypertensive patients with increased cardiovascular risk.
- Further research can explore NLR's role in guiding hypertension management.
Objectives:
Arterial hypertension plays a significant role in promoting organ damage and the development of atherosclerosis. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is an accessible and cost-effective biomarker that has been strongly associated with adverse outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease and chronic heart failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of NLR as a surrogate biomarker of subclinical atherosclerotic damage in patients with essential hypertension.
Methods:
From January 2024 to November 2024, we consecutively enrolled 346 patients with essential hypertension. For all patients, we collected medical history, anthropometric data, biochemical analyses, and subclinical organ damage, including 24-h urinary excretion of microalbuminuria, carotid intima-media thickness, and transthoracic echocardiography. We excluded patients with arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, or cerebrovascular or peripheral artery disease.
Results:
In our study, we found that patients with higher NLR were associated with high blood pressure values, the use of more than three antihypertensive medications, and a higher prevalence of dyslipidemia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Moreover, elevated NLR values correlated with a higher prevalence of subclinical organ damage (left cardiac ventricular mass, carotid atherosclerosis, and increased microalbuminuria).
Conclusions:
Our study shows that in patients with essential hypertension, NLR is significantly correlated with some cardiovascular comorbidities and subclinical organ damage.
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