P-494: Aldosterone to renin ratio as a determinant of aortic stiffness (pulse wave velocity) in hypertensive patients

• Published in: American journal of hypertension Vol. 15; no. S3; p. 212A
• Main Authors: Polonia, Jorge J., Silva, Jose A., Maldonado, Joao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-04-2002
• Subjects: Aldosterone to Renin Ratio; Arterial Stiffness; Pulse Wave Velocity
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1941-7225; 1879-1905
• DOI: 10.1016/S0895-7061(02)02845-5

Aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) is an indicator of inappropriate aldosterone activity in hypertension. Since aldosterone may induce vascular fibrosis and contribute to deteriorate vascular compliance we hypothesised that the ARR would relate to aortic stiffness as measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Plasma sampling from 60 (32 males) untreated hypertensives, aged 46 + 2 (s.e.m.) years, with body mass index 29 + 2 Kg/m2, were done for plasma renin activity (PRA, ng/ml/h) and plasma aldosterone (ALD ng/dl) measurements (by RIA). AAR was calculated by dividing ALD by PRA. Each patient underwent noninvasive measurement of carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV, m/s, with COMPLIOR). Linear and multiple correlations between PWV and casual systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP, BMI and ARR values were assessed. Values of PWV (10.6 + 0.3 m/s), SBP (157 + 3 mm Hg), DBP (96 + 2 mm Hg) and of ARR (22.2 + 2.1) were obtained. PWV was significantly correlated with age (r=0.48, p< 0.01), SBP (r=0.44, p< 0.01), DBP (r=0.34, p< 0.02), and with ARR (r=0.47, p< 0.01). In a multiple regressional analysis age, casual SBP, casual DBP and ARR emerged as significant (p< 0.01) independent predictors of PWV, predicting respectively (adjusted R squared) 22%, 19%, 11% and 21% of the variation of PWV values. We conclude that there was an independent and significant correlation between ARR and aortic pulse wave velocity, suggesting that in hypertensives inappropriate aldosterone activity may be involved in the increase of aortic stiffness.