Ultrasound evaluation of atherosclerotic manifestations in the carotid artery in high-risk hypertensive patients. Risk Intervention Study (RIS) Group.

Abstract

on behalf of the Risk Intervention Study (RIS) Group.Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate whether high-risk hypertensive patients (n=137) had larger far-wall common carotid artery intima-media thickness than a control group (n=37) and to study whether intima-media thickness was related to other signs of atherosclerotic disease. The results showed that intima-media thickness was significantly larger in the hypertension group than in the control group. Lumen diameter and mean cross-sectional area of the intimamedia complex were larger both for hypertensive patients with a positive history of manifest clinical cardiovascular disease and for hypertensive patients with no such history than in the control group. There was a significant relationship between far-wall common carotid artery intima-media thickness and plaque status (visual scoring, no, small, moderate/large) in the carotid artery region. In univariate analyses, low diastolic blood pressure and high pulse pressure were both significantly related to plaque status. In multivariate analyses, pulse pressure was significantly and independently related both to common carotid artery intima-media thickness and to plaque status in the carotid artery region. In multivariate analyses,

Vascular Remodeling of the Carotid Artery in Patients with Untreated Essential Hypertension Increases with Age.

“…VM, which is closely associated with IMT, may be a more appropriate parameter than IMT for describing vessel wall size, since this arterial parameter takes into account both IMT and lumen diameter (23). And the carotid cross-sectional area (VM/ρL) may better discriminate between patients with and those without hypertensive or atherosclerotic disease (24). Hence, the suppression of any increase in VM appear to be an important aim in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.…”

Should we do an oral glucose tolerance test in hypertensive men with normal fasting blood-glucose?

“…7 From this group of 508 men one-third of the patients were randomly selected to take part in an ultrasound study of the carotid artery. 12 Out of these 164 patients an oral glucose tolerance test was performed in 121 non-diabetic subjects. The subjects with diabetes mellitus did not undergo the examination.…”

Alteration of carotid circulation in essential hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy

“…Plaque was defined as the presence of wall thickening at least 50% greater than the thickness of adjacent wall. 4,12 IMT was measured from the multiple approach (anteroposterior, posteroanterior, and lateral) at the far wall 2 cm below the CCA bifurcation in bilateral carotid arteries and averaged to obtain mean IMT. In the presence of plaque, the adjacent area was evaluated.…”

“…1 Intima-media thickness (IMT) of the artery measured by this method has been validated by anatomical evaluation. 2 It has been shown that not only established hypertensive patients, [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] but also borderline hypertensive patients 14 have a greater intima-media thickness and a higher prevalence of plaques in the common carotid artery than normotensive individuals. Furthermore, it was also demonstrated that abnormal findings of the carotid artery are related to cardiovascular complications 15 and to future cerebrovascular events, 16 suggesting that early detection and management of patients using this method may be of considerable clinical importance.…”