AGE AND ARTERIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN MEN WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND LIPID METABOLISM DISTURBANCES

Abstract

Aim. To assess arterial structure and function in men with arterial hypertension (AH) combined with dyslipidemia and obesity, in comparison to men with AH and normal body weight.Material and methods. The study included 205 men with the combination of AH, dyslipidemia, and obesity, as well as 42 men with AH and normal body weight. All participants (age 20–71 years) underwent ultrasound examination and oscillometry. Results. Men with disturbed lipid metabolism demonstrated a tendency towards the increase in intima-media thickness (IMT) of common carotid artery (CCA), starting from the age of 45 years. Endothelial dysfunction, manifested as reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilatation, manifested from the age of 35–38 years. These changes occurred, on average, 15 years earlier than in AH patients without dyslipidemia and obesity. Among men with AH and disturbed lipid metabolism, CCA IMT values strongly correlated with age, body mass index, waist circumference, peak systolic blood flow velocity, cholesterol levels, and pulse wave velocity.Conclusion. Obesity and dyslipidemia are not only strong predictors of cardiovascular risk, but also aetiological factors of vascular pathology.

Keywords

• arterial hypertension
• obesity
• dyslipidemia
• endothelium
• age-related changes