Relationship between Body Mass, Fat Weight, Serum Lipid Levels and Aortic Compliance in Elderly Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

Background Increased aortic stiffness is one of the factors in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension. Effect of obesity coexisting with arterial hypertension on arterial compliance remains unclear.
Methods The study was performed in 42 patients with essential hypertension aged over 65 years. Body mass index, fat weight, lean body mass, serum cholesterol and triglycerydes as well as pulse wave velocity were measured. Patients were divided on subgroups according to BMI: normal weight, overweight and obese.
Results Pulse wave velocity was significantly increased in obese hypertensives in comparison with two other subgroups whereas this parameter did not differ significantly between overweight and patients with normal mass. Significant positive correlation was found between pulse wave velocity and body mass index as well as fat weight. No relationship was found between pulse wave velocity and lean body mass, serum cholesterol and triglycerydes.
Conclusions Results of this study suggest that obesity ai fects aortic compliance in patients with essential hypertension. This effect is shown only in elederly patients and is dependent upon fat weight but not lean body mass. Serum lipids level has no elect on elastic properties of aorta in elderly hypertensive patients.