[op.2d.06] Differences in Endothelial Glycocalyx in Recently Diagnosed and Untreated Middle-aged Hypertensive Patients regarding Increased Cardiovascular Risk.

OBJECTIVE Target organ damage (TOD) evaluation in patients with arterial hypertension is necessary in order to estimate cardiovascular risk (CVR) and plan treatment. Increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), an index of TOD, represents the diffuse vascular atheromatosis. The integrity of endothelial glycocalyx (EG) plays a vital role in vascular permeability, inflammation and elasticity and finally to cardiovascular disease. Sideview Darkfield imaging allows for non-invasive automated estimation of EG dimensions based on the erythrocyte column distribution. We aimed to investigate any differences in EG levels in untreated patients with essential hypertension. DESIGN AND METHOD We studied 86 patients with newly diagnosed and never treated essential hypertension (mean age 53 + 7 years, 53 males). Increased perfusion boundary region (PBR) of the sublingual arterial microvessels (ranged from 5-25 micrometers) using Sideview Darkfield imaging (Microscan, Glycocheck) was measured as a non-invasive accurate index of reduced EG thickness. We estimated carotid intima-media thickness using carotid ultrasonography (normal levels IMT < 0.8 mm). RESULTS The whole population was divided in two groups regarding IMT levels, group A (IMT < 0.8 mm, n = 30, mean age 52 + 7 years, 17 males) and group B (IMT > 0.8 mm, n = 56, mean age 54 + 7 years, 36 males). Group A and B were also matched for age and sex. No differences were found within groups regarding 24 h systolic and diastolic ABPM as well as PBR 5-25, PBR 10-19 and PBR 20-25. We found that PBR 5-9 was increased in group B (1.19 + 0.1 vs. 1.13 + 0.1, p = 0.04) compared with group A. CONCLUSIONS EG dimensions are reduced in hypertensive patients with augmented cardiovascular risk. Further studies are needed to confirm our results in a larger population and possibly establish EG measurement as a new cardiovascular risk marker.