Relation Between Renal Function Within the Normal Range and Central and Peripheral Arterial Stiffness in Hypertension

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is accompanied by increased large-artery stiffness, but the relation between glomerular filtration rate within the reference range and central or peripheral arterial stiffness has been understudied. The link between renal function and arterial stiffness was assessed in 305 patients with never-treated essential hypertension (men: 58%; age: 48±11 years, blood pressure: 151/95±20/11 mm Hg), free from overt cardiovascular disease and with serum creatinine values r =0.55; P P P r =0.22; P r =−0.34; P r =−0.25; P P P =0.013), and GFR (β=−0.13, P =0.029). Upper-limb PWV was predicted by GFR (β=−0.24; P P <0.001). We conclude that, in hypertensive patients with normal renal function, an inverse relationship exists between GFR and stiffness of both central elastic and peripheral muscular arteries. These relations are in part independent from the effect of several confounders, including age, sex, and blood pressure values.