ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana - Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2021 March;180(3):80-6

DOI: 10.23736/S0393-3660.19.04187-1

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Epicardial adipose tissue thickness predicts non-dipper statue in newly diagnosed hypertensive patients

Ertugrul EMRE GUNTURK ¹ ✉, Mustafa TOPUZ ², Hasan AKKAYA ¹, Ayşe N. TOPUZ ³

¹ Department of Cardiology, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Nigde, Turkey; ² Department of Cardiology, Adana City Hospital, Adana, Turkey; ³ Department of Family Medicine, Cukurova Public Health Center, Adana, Turkey

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is known to be a major reason for adverse cardiovascular events and increases morbidity and mortality rates. In individuals with a normal circadian rhythm, nocturnal blood pressure falls at a rate of 10-20%. Conversely, <10% of nocturnal blood pressure decline is defined as non-dipping circadian blood pressure (BP) profile. It has been reported that this is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality both in those with and without hypertension.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included newly diagnosed hypertensive patients who presented at our clinic. All patients underwent a physical examination and the medical history was recorded. Patients with chronic hypertension, any known cardiac or valve disease, cancer, chronic kidney or liver disease, endocrinological disorders, alcohol or drug abuse, or rheumatological disorders were excluded from the study.
RESULTS: Group 1 (non-dipper) comprised 50 patients and group 2 (dipper), 40 patients. The baseline characteristics of the study groups are summarized in Table I. In the laboratory analyses, group 1 had higher total-C, LDL-C, and TG values and lower HDL-C levels than group 2 (P<0.05 for all). Plasma fasting glucose was higher in group 1 than in group 2 (P<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness can be classified as an independent factor for the development of non-dipper hypertension. As a simple and inexpensive method, the role of EAT thickness should be kept in mind when physicians encounter a newly diagnosed hypertensive patient.

KEY WORDS: Adipose tissue; Hypertension; Cardiovascular system