Subclinical organ damage in perimenopausal women with essential hypertension

INTRODUCTION Hypertension and its complications are more common in postmenopausal women than before menopause. However, whether this is due to the effect of age or menopause is still unknown. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to assess the effect of menopause on blood pressure (BP), left ventricular and vascular structure and function, as well as kidney function in perimenopausal women. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 192 women aged 40 to 60 years (mean age, 51.73 +/- 1.82 years), including 152 with newly diagnosed essential hypertension and 40 normotensive controls matched for age. In all subjects, 24-hour BP monitoring was performed. Echocardiographic examination with the assessment of left ventricular mass (LVM) and systolic and diastolic function, as well as carotid ultrasound with the measurement of intima-media thickness (IMT) in the common carotid artery were performed. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured. Glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated and urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR) was measured. RESULTS The study group was divided according to hypertension and menopausal status into 4 subgroups: normotensive premenopausal, normotensive postmenopausal, hypertensive premenopausal, and hypertensive postmenopausal women. Menopause did not affect BP or LVM. Differences in LVM between pre- and postmenopausal women were dependent on age and the body mass index. Hypertensive postmenopausal compared with hypertensive premenopausal women had significantly higher IMT (0.72 +/- 0.34 mm vs. 0.59 +/- 0.30 mm, P = 0.001) and a lower ratio of early to late mitral inflow velocity (E/A, 1.04 +/- 0.32 vs. 1.32 +/- 0.33, P = 0.01). PWV was higher in hypertensives compared to controls (9.7 +/- 1.6 m/s vs. 8.4 +/- 1.2 m/s, P = 0.001), without differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal women. Menopause did not affect eGFR and UACR either in the hypertensive or normotensive group. CONCLUSIONS Left ventricular diastolic function and carotid IMT are independently associated with menopausal status in both normo- and hypertensive women. Menopause per se did not affect BP in the examined group.