Vascular and neuroendocrine components in altered blood pressure regulation after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta

Abstract

Study objective: To investigate potential vascular and neuroendocrine determinants of altered blood pressure (BP) regulation in patients previously operated on for aortic coarctation.

Design, setting and patients: We prospectively re-evaluated 45 patients operated on for aortic coarctation at Strasbourg University Hospital over a 13-year period. Four of these patients were less than 2 years old at the time of the operation and four were older than 20 years. Patient age and time since the operation were on average 21 ± 13 years and 8 ± 3 years, respectively. Surgery consisted of a resection with end-to-end anastomosis for 18 patients, angioplasty (8), prosthesis (4) or sub-clavian flap (15).

Results: Despite repair of the coarctation, about 40% of the patients showed an abnormal BP status at rest. The majority of these patients had uncomplicated borderline hypertension. The orthostasis test as well as the BP circadian rhythm were frequently abnormal. While the ankle/arm systolic pressure index measured at rest was generally within the normal range, diminished carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was observed. Plasma adrenaline and aldosterone levels were elevated in about 50% of the patients examined.

Conclusions: These new findings suggest that there are ‘cause and effect’ relationships between aortic structural and functional vascular abnormalities, and augmented plasma adrenaline and aldosterone in some patients after coarctation repair. These phenomena are likely to be involved in altered BP regulation and might result in recurrent hypertension.