Impaired microcirculation in mild-to-moderate essential arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to correlate capillary morphology and erythrocyte velocity to blood pressure in mild-to-moderate essential arterial hypertension. DESIGN: Ambulatory blood pressure measurement may provide more precise information about a patient's mean blood pressure than office measurements. METHODS: Fifteen patients with recently diagnosed, previously untreated mild-to-moderate essential hypertension underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure recording and a capillaroscopic examination of finger microcirculation. Erythrocyte velocity was determined by the flying spot technique. RESULTS: Both mean 24-h ambulatory systolic blood pressure (SBP) and mean 24-h ambulatory diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were significantly inversely correlated with capillary erythrocyte velocity. However, the correlation between erythrocyte velocity and office SBP and office DBP was less significant. Capillary length was related to 24-h ambulatory DBP but not to office DBP. Capillary number was not related to any blood pressure parameter. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that, in patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension, erythrocyte velocity is significantly lower than for matched controls. It is also inversely related to mean 24-h ambulatory SBP and 24-h ambulatory DBP.