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Early atherosclerosis in human hypertension
A Simon1, J L Megnien, J Gariepy
1Centre de Médecine Préventive Cardiovasculaire, CR INSERM, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France.
Insights
Detecting preclinical atherosclerosis, including arterial calcification, thickening, and stiffening, helps identify hypertensive patients at high risk for complications and guides therapy. Early detection improves clinical management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Vascular Biology
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Hypertension significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular complications.
- Preclinical atherosclerosis, characterized by arterial wall alterations, is often undiagnosed in hypertensive individuals.
- Early detection of atherosclerosis is crucial for risk stratification and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the role of detecting preclinical atherosclerosis in identifying high-risk hypertensive patients.
- To explore the prognostic significance of arterial calcification, thickening, and stiffening.
- To assess the potential of these markers for guiding antihypertensive therapy.
Main Methods:
- Noninvasive diagnostic methods were employed to assess arterial wall alterations.
- Prevalence of calcification, thickening, and stiffening was evaluated in asymptomatic hypertensive subjects.
- Prognostic significance, particularly for coronary artery disease, was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of arterial calcification, thickening, and stiffening is elevated in asymptomatic hypertensives.
- These arterial alterations hold significant prognostic value, especially for coronary artery disease.
- The identified changes serve as effective targets for evaluating antihypertensive treatment efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Detection of preclinical atherosclerosis aids in identifying hypertensive patients at high risk for complications.
- Noninvasive assessment of arterial wall changes offers prognostic information and therapeutic guidance.
- Integrating early atherosclerosis detection into clinical practice can enhance the management of hypertensive patients.
Abstract:
The detection of preclinical atherosclerosis may contribute to better identifying hypertensive subjects at high risk of complications. Three alterations can be diagnosed noninvasively: calcification, thickening, and stiffening of the arterial wall. Their prevalence is increased in asymptomatic hypertensives and their presence may have important prognostic significance, especially with respect to coronary artery disease. They are also ideal targets to test the efficacy of hypertensive therapy on the arterial wall. Finally, the detection of early atherosclerosis may help to improve the clinical management of hypertensive patients.