¹Centre de Médecine Préventive Cardiovasculaire, CR INSERM, Hôpital Broussais, Paris, France

Correspondence: Professeur Alain Simon, Centre de Médecine Préventive Cardiovasculaire, Hôpital Broussais, 96 rue Didot, 75674 Paris Cedex 14

^*This material was first presented at a workshop organized with the help of an educational grant from the Groupe de Recherche Servier–France in Paris on December 11, 1996.

Abstract

The detection of preclinical atherosclerosis may contribute to better identifying hypertensive subjects at high risk of complications. Three alterations can be diagnosed noninvasively: calcification, thickening, and stiffening of the arterial wall. Their prevalence is increased in asymptomatic hypertensives and their presence may have important prognostic significance, especially with respect to coronary artery disease. They are also ideal targets to test the efficacy of hypertensive therapy on the arterial wall. Finally, the detection of early atherosclerosis may help to improve the clinical management of hypertensive patients.