Endothelial function in hypertensive patients under the conditions of stress, muscle relaxation and their combination

Aim of the paper was to study the influence of stress, muscle relaxation and their combination on endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDV) in hypertensive patients. We investigated 22 hypertensive patients of I stage (age 41,8+1,8 years) and healthy persons (n= 16) as control group comparable by sex and age. The central hemodynamic parameters and forearm blood flow estimated before and during the reactive hyperemia test (RHT) at initial condition, during the mental stress, muscle relaxation and their combination. Results: the mental stress caused in healthy people increased heart rate and systolic blood pressure, but did not influence on forearm EDV. In hypertensive patients increase of heart rate and blood pressure at mental stress was accompanied by decrease of EDV (up to 5,15±0,75%). The muscle relaxation condition in healthy individuals resulted in more expressed EVD (on 10,76±1,77%). In hypertensive patients heart rate and blood pressure reduction was even more expressed, thus, EDV was comparable with basal. The combination of stress and muscle relaxation unequally influenced on EVD in groups: if in the control disappearance of additional vasodilator reaction (EVD was 7,98+1,0%) has taken place, in the hypertensive group the stress with condition of muscle relaxation had no similar effect (EVD was 8,71 ±2,3%). Thus, we revealed dependence of EDV on both stress and stress-limiting influences. It can be used in primary and secondary prevention of arterial hypertension.