Intimal plus media thickness of common carotid arterial wall in subjects with hypertension.

Intimal plus media thickening has been described to be associated with several cardiovascular risk factors. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the intimal plus media thickness in male subjects with hypertension compared to age matched males normotensive controls. Twenty subjects with hypertension, defined as systolic blood pressure > 160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure > 95 mmHg and/or use of antihypertensive drugs, and forty age matched controls have been enrolled. Intimal plus media thickness has been measured from B-mode echography images by a computer. Plasma lipids have been measured by routine methods. A zero random sphygmomanometer has been used to detect blood pressure. Intima plus media thickness resulted enlarged in subjects with hypertension compared to normotensive controls. The thickening of intima-media complex seems related to atherosclerotic lesions, therefore its early detection by noninvasive techniques might improve the identification and the monitoring of high risk hypertensive subjects.