Impact of Prehypertension on Carotid Artery Intima Media Thickness

Background: Recent evidence supports that the prehypertension is associated with target organ damage, though there is lack of information regarding common carotid artery intima media thickness (CIMT) in prehypertensive individuals. We aimed to study the role of prehypertension in target organ damage in the form of CIMT. Methods: Carotid CIMT was measured by B-mode ultrasonography by an experienced hand blinded to all clinical data in fifty prehypertensive subjects and compared with fifty normotensive persons and another fifty hypertensive patients. Result: In this age and sex matched study the mean CIMT of prehypertensivesubjects weresignificantlyhigher compared to normotensive persons (0.694 ± 0.048 mm vs. 0.607 ± 0.004 mm, p value <0.001). It was highest among hypertensives (0.736 ± 0.540mm) and lowest in normotensive (0.607±0.004 mm) persons. Conclusion: it is clearly seen that there is increased target organ damage in the form of increased CIMT in prehypertensive group and hypertensive group compare to normotensive group justifying separate entity of prehypertension and early treatment of prehypertensive patients.