P-282: Change in compliance of peripheral conduit arteries during treatment of hypertension accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy, a life-substudy

The purpose of the study was to investigate a possible change in compliance of middle-sized conduit arteries in patients with hypertension accompanied by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH). Included were 48 patients, 21 females and 27 males, age 67 years(55-78) with ECG-determined LVH. They were examined after 14 days on placebo treatment and again after 1 year on randomized treatment of either losartan or atenolol in equipotent dosages of 50-100 mg. Arterial compliance was measured on the upper arm using a volume-oscillometric method (Artcomp®, Critikon®). In result, BP was 160 ± 20/87± 12 mmHg at baseline and 154± 19/81± 11 mmHg after 1 year of treatment. Isobaric arterial compliance at any transmural pressure decreased after 1 year (p<0,05)) but was still elevated compared to normals (p<0.01), matched regarding age and gender. Arterial compliance at mean arterial pressure (MAP) remained unchanged from 2.7 ± 1.1 µl/mmHg/12 cm at baseline to 2.6 ± 1.0 µl/mmHg/12 cm after 1 year of treatment and equal to normals of 2.3 ± 1.0 µl/mmHg/12 cm (ns). In conclusion, isobaric compliance of peripheral conduit arteries is increased in hypertension accompanied by LVH and decreases towards normals after 1 years treatment of atenolol or losartan. This indicates adaptive structural or functional changes in the vessel walls as peripheral arterial compliance at MAP remains unchanged and equal to normals. (See <cross-ref type="fig" refid="fig1">Figure</cross-ref>) <fig loc="float" id="fig1"> <link locator="ajh.123A.f1"></fig>