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Prevalence of hypertension mediated organ damage in subjects with high-normal blood pressure without known hypertension as well as cardiovascular and kidney disease

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 36, pages 610–616 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Purpose of our study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension mediated organ damage (HMOD) in healthy subjects with high-normal Blood Pressure (BP) comparing them with subjects with BP values that are considered normal (<130/85 mmHg) or indicative of hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg). Seven hundred fifty-five otherwise healthy subjects were included. HMOD was evaluated as pulse wave velocity (PWV), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque. When subjects were classified according to BP levels we found that the high-normal BP group showed intermediate values of PWV and higher values of IMT. This corresponds to intermediate prevalence of arterial stiffness, while there were no differences for increased IMT or carotid plaque. No subjects showed left ventricular hypertrophy. At multivariable analysis, the odds of having arterial stiffness or carotid HMOD in the high-normal group resulted not different to the normal group. In conclusion, in our otherwise healthy population, high-normal BP values were not related to aortic, carotid or cardiac HMOD.

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Fig. 1: Hypertension Mediated Organ Damage in the different Blood Pressure group.
Fig. 2: Odds Ratio from unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models of the Hypertension Mediated Organ Damage variables.

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Author contributions

AM: Substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work, contributions in the data acquisition and its interpretation. Substantial contributions in drafting the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. PR: Substantial contributions to the data analysis and its interpretation. Substantial contributions in drafting the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. GO: Substantial contributions to the data analysis and its interpretation. Substantial contributions in the critical revision of the work; Final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. MA: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. FM: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. OB: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. FS: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. GMS: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. LO: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. BDC: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. FC: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. AM: Substantial contributions to data interpretation. Substantial contributions to the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. MGV: Substantial contributions to data acquisition and interpretation. Substantial contributions the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved. CG: Substantial contributions to data acquisition and interpretation. Substantial contributions the critical revision of the work; final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Funding

This work was funded by the European Community Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) Grant Agreement no 278249, Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR) - Department of Excellence project PREMIA (PREcision MedIcine Approach: bringing biomarker research to clinic), A. De Gasperis Cardiology and Cariac Surgery Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiology IV, “A.De Gasperis” Department, ASTT GOM Niguarda Ca’ Granda, Milan, Italy

    Alessandro Maloberti, Marta Alloni, Francesco Musca, Oriana Belli, Francesca Spano, Gloria Maria Santambrogio, Lucia Occhi, Benedetta De Chiara, Francesca Casadei, Antonella Moreo & Cristina Giannattasio

  2. University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Alessandro Maloberti & Cristina Giannattasio

  3. Bicocca Center of Bioinformatics, Biostatistics and Bioimaging (B4 center), School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy

    Paola Rebora, Giuseppe Occhino & Maria Grazia Valsecchi

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  1. Alessandro Maloberti
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Maloberti, A., Rebora, P., Occhino, G. et al. Prevalence of hypertension mediated organ damage in subjects with high-normal blood pressure without known hypertension as well as cardiovascular and kidney disease. J Hum Hypertens 36, 610–616 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-021-00604-6

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