Different prevalence of some indices of cardiac and vascular impairment in normal weight and obese patients with essential arterial hypertension

Abstract

Certain physiopathological features that differentiate essential arterial hypertension in normal weight and obese patients are recalled. The results of a retrospective study carried out in 293 hypertensive patients admitted to the Clinic in recent years are reported with a view to evaluating the prevalence of certain parameters (ischaemic cardiopathy, left ventricular hypertrophy, renal, vasculo-cerebral and retinal impairment) in patients subdivided into two groups: normal weight and obese. The study showed in the first group a higher prevalence of signs of ischaemic cardiopathy; in the second a higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy. This difference is accentuated in the subgroup of smokers as regards ischaemic cardiopathy and in non-smokers as regards left ventricular hypertrophy. The possible explanations for this different behaviour are discussed.