Microalbuminuria and Endothelial Function and Atherosclerosis of Common Carotid Artery in Aged Patients with Essential Hypertension

Objective To investigate the relationship between microalbuminuria and endothelial function and atherosclerosis of common carotid artery (CCA) in aged patients with essential hypertension (EH).Methods Sixty-four aged patients with EH were recruited. According to the albumin excretion rate (AER) in urine measured by immunoturbidimetry, patients were divided into two groups: normoalbuminuria group (NAU group) and microalbuminuria group (MAU group). Thirty aged matched persons without EH served as control. The endothelium-dependent relaxing function of brachial artery(FMD), intima-media thickness (IMT) and the plaque of CCA were measured by color Doppler ultrasound.Results The flow-mediated dilation in the MAU group was significantly lower than that in the NAU group;FMD in hypertension groups was significantly lower than that of the control group regardless with or without MAU(5.0%±1.4%, 6.3%±1.1%, vs control:9.1%±1.8%, both P0.05). The IMT of CCA in the MAU group was significantly thicker than that of the NAU group, and the IMT of both groups was significantly thicker than that of the control group(1.0±0.2, 0.9±0.1 vs control:0.8±0.1 mm, both P0.05). The endothelium-dependent relaxing function negativly correlated with microalbuminuria(r=-0.597, P0.001), with microalbuminuria positivly correlated with the IMT of CCA(r=0.700, P0.001). ConclusionMicroalbuminuria correlates with the decrease of endothelium-dependent relaxing function and increases in the incidence rate of atherosclerosis in CCA.