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The renin-angiotensin system and arterial wall behavior
D Hayoz1, J Nussberger, B Waeber
1Hypertension Division, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology
|January 1, 1993
Summary
A new noninvasive ultrasonic device assesses arterial wall behavior in hypertension. It found lisinopril increased arterial compliance in healthy individuals, but hypertension did not significantly alter arterial distensibility.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Biomedical engineering
- Hypertension research
Background:
- Hypertension affects arterial wall mechanics.
- Noninvasive methods are needed to assess arterial properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a noninvasive ultrasonic device for assessing arterial wall behavior.
- To investigate the effects of antihypertensive drugs on arterial compliance.
- To compare arterial properties in hypertensive and normotensive individuals.
Main Methods:
- Simultaneous noninvasive measurement of internal diameter and blood pressure.
- Generation of compliance-pressure and distensibility-pressure curves.
- Comparison of arterial properties in healthy volunteers, hypertensive patients, and spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Main Results:
- Lisinopril increased arterial compliance in healthy volunteers after 8 days.
- No significant differences in diameter-pressure curves or distensibility were found between untreated hypertensive patients and normotensive controls.
- Similar findings were observed in a rat model comparing spontaneously hypertensive rats and Wistar-Kyoto rats.
Conclusions:
- The developed ultrasonic device provides noninvasive insights into arterial elastic response.
- Arterial distensibility may not be significantly altered in newly diagnosed, untreated hypertension.
- Further development is needed to incorporate arterial wall thickness for comprehensive mechanical property assessment.