P.061 Relationship Between Fibrinogen and Arterial Stiffness in Patients with Essential Hypertension

Abstract

Introduction

Increased levels of prothrombotic markers such as fibrinogen and plasminogen activator-inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) have been related to target organ damage and cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive population. Arterial stiffness is an important determinant of cardiovascular performance and a predictor of the corresponding risk. The association of fibrinogen and PAI-1 with arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients has not been defined.

Methods

We studied 285 consecutive, non-diabetic patients with uncomplicated, never treated essential hypertension (mean age 50 years, 184 males). Carotid-femoral and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWVc-f and PWVc-r) were measured as indices of elastic-type, large-artery (aortic) stiffness and muscular type, medium-sized arterial stiffness respectively. Serum PAI-1 and plasma fibrinogen were measured in all participants.

Results

Across the tertiles of fibrinogen, we found a significant increase in PWVc-f (7.36 vs 7.52 vs 8.17m/s at tertiles 1 to 3, p < 0.001) but not in PWVc-r as well (8.73 vs 8.70 vs 8.68 m/s, p = NS). Across the tertiles of logPAI-1 was also a gradual increase in PWVc-f (7.43 vs 7.73 vs 7.93 m/s, p = 0.02) but no significant difference was observed in PWVc-r levels (8.57 vs 8.82 vs 8.74m/s, p = NS). In multivariate analysis, the association of fibrinogen with PWVc-f remained significant (b = 0.12, p <0.05) after adjustment for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, smoking, body mass index, HbA1c and serum cholesterol. However, the associations of PAI-1 with PWVc-f disappeared once the above confounding factors were taken into account.

Conclusion

The present study shows that in hypertensive subjects increased aortic stiffness is related to increased plasma levels of fibrinogen. This finding may have important implications for hypertensive patients.