TY - JOUR
T1 - Structural alterations of the retinal microcirculation in the "prehypertensive" high-normal blood pressure state
AU - Grassi, Guido
AU - Buzzi, Silvia
AU - Dell'Oro, Raffaella
AU - Mineo, Claudia
AU - Dimitriadis, Kyriakos
AU - Seravalle, Gino
AU - Lonati, Laura
AU - Cuspidi, Cesare
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The high-normal blood pressure (also known as prehypertension) is a clinical condition characterized by an increased cardiovascular risk as well as by the presence of target organ damage. This include an increased left ventricular mass, an endothelial dysfunction and an early renal functional and structural damage. Whether this is the case also for alterations of retinal vessels network, which are frequently detectable in established hypertension, is still largey undefined. The present paper, after discussing the main characteristics of the high-normal blood pressure state, will review the different approaches used throughout the years for assessing retinal microcirculatory network. Data collected by our group in subjects with high normal blood pressure will be also discussed, showing that arterial venular ratio values are reduced in this individuals with high-normal blood pressure and more so in established hypertension. These data indicate that retinal microvascular alterations 1) are of early appearance in the clinical course of hypertension and 2) are of frequent detection in the high-normal blood pressure state. The possible hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic mechanisms resposible for these structural alteations of the retinal microcirculation will be also discussed.
AB - The high-normal blood pressure (also known as prehypertension) is a clinical condition characterized by an increased cardiovascular risk as well as by the presence of target organ damage. This include an increased left ventricular mass, an endothelial dysfunction and an early renal functional and structural damage. Whether this is the case also for alterations of retinal vessels network, which are frequently detectable in established hypertension, is still largey undefined. The present paper, after discussing the main characteristics of the high-normal blood pressure state, will review the different approaches used throughout the years for assessing retinal microcirculatory network. Data collected by our group in subjects with high normal blood pressure will be also discussed, showing that arterial venular ratio values are reduced in this individuals with high-normal blood pressure and more so in established hypertension. These data indicate that retinal microvascular alterations 1) are of early appearance in the clinical course of hypertension and 2) are of frequent detection in the high-normal blood pressure state. The possible hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic mechanisms resposible for these structural alteations of the retinal microcirculation will be also discussed.
KW - Arterovenular ratio
KW - High-normal blood pressure
KW - Hypertension
KW - Organ damage
KW - Retinal microcirculation
KW - Sympathetic nervous system
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U2 - 10.2174/1381612811319130005
DO - 10.2174/1381612811319130005
M3 - Article
C2 - 23173586
AN - SCOPUS:84877806880
VL - 19
SP - 2375
EP - 2381
JO - Current Pharmaceutical Design
JF - Current Pharmaceutical Design
SN - 1381-6128
IS - 13
ER -