Integral stiffness of arterial system in patients with arterial hypertension of different genesis

Aim. To study and comparatively analyze the integral stiffness of arterial system in healthy subjects and in patients with hypertensive heart disease, hypothyroidism associated with arterial hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis associated with arterial hypertension. Methods. The study included 32 healthy volunteers and 178 patients with arterial hypertension, including 63 patients with hypertensive heart disease of 1-3 degree, 82 patients with hypothyroidism associated with arterial hypertension, 33 patients with rheumatoid arthritis associated with arterial hypertension. All patients underwent echocardiography; modulus of volume elasticity (MVE), pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure (MAP), total peripheral vascular resistance (TPVR), and MVE/TPVR ratio were calculated. The stiffness of arterial system was considered the main component if MVE/TPVR ratio exceeded 1; if MVE/TPVR ≤1, TPVR was considered the leading component. Results. Patients with arterial hypertension had higher rates of stiffness of arterial system in comparison with control group by MVE and pulse pressure. In control group, 87.5% persons had prevalence of TPVR, and in 12.5% arterial stiffness prevailed. In 77.8% of patients with hypertensive heart disease prevalence of TPVR was found, and in 22.2% arterial stiffness prevailed. In patients with combination of rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension arterial stiffness prevailed, while patients with combination of hypothyroidism and hypertension had higher TPVR. Conclusion. All patients with combination of rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension had arterial stiffness prevailing over TPVR. In patients with hypothyroidism associated with arterial hypertension TPVR prevailed over arterial stiffness.

arterial hypertension, hypertensive heart disease, hypothyroidism, arterial stiffness, rheumatoid arthritis