关键词: 高血压; 内中膜厚度; 颈动脉; 社区; 中年人; 老年人

Abstract: Objective To study the impact of prehypertension on carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) in the middle-aged and elderly population.Methods We studied 942 residents in a community of Guangzhou, China by questionnaires, physical examinations, blood chemistry tests and bilateral carotid ultrasonography. Carotid artery IMT of common carotid artery, carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery as well as mean carotid artery IMT were compared among the three populations of normotension (NT), prehypertension (Pre-HT) and hypertension (HT), which were stratified by the JNC-7 classification of blood pressure.Results Pre-HT and HT were associated with the risk factors such as older age, male gender, dyslipidemia, obesity and smoking. IMT of the three carotid segments and mean IMT was thicker in Pre-HT than in NT (P<0.001). Adjusting for relevant risk factors, IMT of common carotid artery and mean carotid IMT was still significantly thicker in the Pre-HT than in NT (P<0.05). However, significant difference between the IMT of carotid bifurcation and internal carotid artery in Pre-HT and NT could not be found (P=0.082 and P=0.133). IMT of the common carotid and carotid bifurcation as well as mean IMT was thicker in HT than in Pre-HT or in NT (all P<0.05).Conclusion There was significant target-organ damage such as thickening of the carotid artery IMT in the prehypertension status in middle-aged and elderly population.

Key words: Hypertension; Intima-media thickness; Carotid artheries; Community; Middle aged; Aged