This Article Full Text Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Giannattasio, C. Articles by Mancia, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Giannattasio, C. Articles by Mancia, G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB CHOLESTEROL Medline Plus Health Information High Blood Pressure

(Hypertension. 1997;29:583-586.)
© 1997 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

Combined Effects of Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia on Radial Artery Function

Cristina Giannattasio; Arduino A. Mangoni; Monica Failla; Maria L. Stella; Stefano Carugo; Michele Bombelli; Roberto Sega; Giuseppe Mancia

Cattedra di Medicina Interna I, Universita di Milano and Ospedale S. Gerardo Monza; Centro di Fisiologia Clinica e Ipertensione, Universita di Milano and Ospedale Maggiore, Milano; and Centro Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy.

Correspondence to Prof Giuseppe Mancia, Medicina Interna I, Universita di Milano, Ospedale S. Gerardo Monza, Via Donizetti 106, Monza (Milano), Italy.

Compliance and distensibility of middle-sized conduit arteries are increased in hypertension and reduced in hypercholesterolemia. Despite their frequent association in the same individual, the combined effect of these two conditions on arterial mechanical properties is unknown. We studied four groups of age- and sex-matched subjects: 10 normotensive normocholesterolemic subjects, 10 mild hypertensive normocholesterolemic subjects, 10 mild hypercholesterolemic normotensive subjects, and 10 mild hypertensive and mild hypercholesterolemic subjects. We measured radial artery diameter by an echotracking device and beat-to-beat blood pressure from an ipsilateral finger. Compliance-pressure and distensibility-pressure curves were derived by Langewouters' formula. Between-group comparisons were made by calculating for both compliance and distensibility the integral of the area under the portion of the curve common to the four groups ("isobaric" compliance and distensibility). Blood pressure was similarly elevated in the two hypertensive groups, and serum cholesterol was similarly elevated in the two hypercholesterolemic groups. Compared with values in normotensive normocholesterolemic subjects, isobaric compliance and distensibility were greater in hypertensive normocholesterolemic (+38% and 47%, respectively) and smaller in normotensive hypercholesterolemic (-6% and -23%) subjects. However, when both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were present, isobaric compliance and isobaric distensibility were significantly reduced (-26% and -18%, P<.05). Therefore, hypercholesterolemia reverses the effect of hypertension on arterial compliance and causes arterial stiffening, as when present alone.

Key Words: compliance • hypercholesterolemia • atherosclerosis

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. M. Urbina, R. V. Williams, B. S. Alpert, R. T. Collins, S. R. Daniels, L. Hayman, M. Jacobson, L. Mahoney, M. Mietus-Snyder, A. Rocchini, et al. Noninvasive Assessment of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Children and Adolescents: Recommendations for Standard Assessment for Clinical Research: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association Hypertension, November 1, 2009; 54(5): 919 - 950. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Laurent, J. Cockcroft, L. Van Bortel, P. Boutouyrie, C. Giannattasio, D. Hayoz, B. Pannier, C. Vlachopoulos, I. Wilkinson, H. Struijker-Boudier, et al. Expert consensus document on arterial stiffness: methodological issues and clinical applications Eur. Heart J., November 1, 2006; 27(21): 2588 - 2605. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Dart, C. D. Gatzka, J. D. Cameron, B. A. Kingwell, Y.-L. Liang, K. L. Berry, C. M. Reid, and G. L. Jennings Large Artery Stiffness Is Not Related to Plasma Cholesterol in Older Subjects with Hypertension Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, May 1, 2004; 24(5): 962 - 968. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				I. B. Wilkinson, K. Prasad, I. R. Hall, A. Thomas, H. MacCallum, D. J. Webb, M. P. Frenneaux, and J. R. Cockcroft Increased central pulse pressure and augmentation index in subjects with hypercholesterolemia J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., March 20, 2002; 39(6): 1005 - 1011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Giannattasio, M. Failla, A. Grappiolo, M. L. Stella, A. Del Bo, M. Colombo, and G. Mancia Fluctuations of Radial Artery Distensibility Throughout the Menstrual Cycle Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, August 1, 1999; 19(8): 1925 - 1929. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-J. Mourad, X. Girerd, P. Boutouyrie, S. Laurent, M. Safar, and G. London Increased Stiffness of Radial Artery Wall Material in End-Stage Renal Disease Hypertension, December 1, 1997; 30(6): 1425 - 1430. [Abstract] [Full Text]