Circulating endothelial cells, arterial stiffness, and cardiovascular risk stratification in hypertension

BACKGROUND: Given the growing burden of cardiovascular disease, there is increasing interest in strategies to help predict future cardiovascular risk. Aims: To investigate the relationship between endothelial damage/dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and their association with predicted risk of future cardiovascular death among patients with hypertension. METHODS: We studied three patient groups 35 to 74 years old: healthy control subjects (n=63), subjects with high-risk hypertension (HHT) [n=65], and patients with treated, previously diagnosed, malignant-phase hypertension (MHT) [n=43]. We measured comparative indexes of arterial stiffness (stiffness index [SI] using digital volume photoplethysmography), endothelial damage/dysfunction (venous circulating endothelial cells [CECs], immunobead technique), and 5-year predictive risk of future cardiovascular death (Pocock scoring system). RESULTS: CEC counts, SI, and 5-year prediction of cardiovascular death were significantly higher in both hypertension groups (HHT and MHT), compared with healthy control subjects. CEC counts were significantly higher in the MHT group (p