TY - JOUR
T1 - Carotid intima-media thickness and anti-hypertensive treatment
T2 - Focus on angiotensin II receptor blockers
AU - Cuspidi, Cesare
AU - Sala, Carla
AU - Tadic, Marijana
AU - Grassi, Guido
AU - Mancia, Giuseppe
N1 - Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
PY - 2018/3
Y1 - 2018/3
N2 - Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), as assessed by ultrasonography, has been shown to be directly related to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality independently of conventional risk factors. Thus, CIMT has been proposed as a marker of CV risk and a surrogate end-point for therapeutic interventions. In the present article we will review available literature about CIMT clinical/prognostic significance in order to offer an updated comprehensive information on this topic. In particular, the anti-atherosclerotic effect of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in the hypertensive setting will be addressed, based on findings provided by double blind, randomized, prospective studies comparing CIMT longitudinal changes. Our review, including 8 studies totaling 1154 hypertensive participants, shows that ARBs are as effective as the other classes of antihypertensive drugs in preventing/regressing subclinical carotid damage and that findings supporting their superiority in this field are limited and not univocal. Future studies aimed to clarify the therapeutic impact of ARBs on CIMT changes and their prognostic implications are warranted.
AB - Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), as assessed by ultrasonography, has been shown to be directly related to cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality independently of conventional risk factors. Thus, CIMT has been proposed as a marker of CV risk and a surrogate end-point for therapeutic interventions. In the present article we will review available literature about CIMT clinical/prognostic significance in order to offer an updated comprehensive information on this topic. In particular, the anti-atherosclerotic effect of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in the hypertensive setting will be addressed, based on findings provided by double blind, randomized, prospective studies comparing CIMT longitudinal changes. Our review, including 8 studies totaling 1154 hypertensive participants, shows that ARBs are as effective as the other classes of antihypertensive drugs in preventing/regressing subclinical carotid damage and that findings supporting their superiority in this field are limited and not univocal. Future studies aimed to clarify the therapeutic impact of ARBs on CIMT changes and their prognostic implications are warranted.
KW - Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use
KW - Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use
KW - Carotid Intima-Media Thickness
KW - Humans
KW - Hypertension/diagnostic imaging
U2 - 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.01.007
DO - 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.01.007
M3 - Review article
C2 - 29357305
VL - 129
SP - 20
EP - 26
JO - Pharmacological Research
JF - Pharmacological Research
SN - 1043-6618
ER -