The Effects of Arterial Hypertension and Age on the Sublingual Microcirculation of Healthy Volunteers and Outpatients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

OBJECTIVES: To quantitatively assess the effects of age, blood pressure, chronic arterial hypertension, and physical activity on sublingual microcirculation in ambulatory volunteers. METHODS: Sublingual microcirculation was assessed in 61 volunteers with or without chronic arterial hypertension. RESULTS: Volunteers with chronic arterial hypertension had lower TVD all vessels, and TVD small vessels and PVD small vessels than those without this condition (16.0 ± 1.4 vs. 17.2 ± 1.6 mm/mm(2), p < 0.01, 15.1 ± 1.3 vs. 16.1 ± 1.7 mm/mm(2), p < 0.04, and 15.1 ± 1.3 vs. 16.1 ± 1.7 mm/mm(2), p < 0.04, respectively). Mean blood pressure correlated with TVD all vessels (r = -0.34, p < 0.01), TVD small vessels (r = -0.31, p < 0.02), and PVD small vessels (r = -0.27, p < 0.04) but not with other microvascular variables. Age was not correlated with any microcirculatory variables. Physical activity correlated with TVDall vessels and RBCV small vessels (r = 0.30, p < 0.02 and r = -0.47, p < 0.001, respectively). Chronic arterial hypertension was the only independent determinant of PVD small vessels . CONCLUSIONS: Preexistent chronic arterial hypertension was associated with lower vascular densities. In contrast, age showed no effect on sublingual microcirculation.