Objective: Arterial stiffness is a measure of organ damage but procedures to destiffnen arteries are still elusive. Our study describes the 1 year change in pulse wave velocity (PWV) in new diagnosed previously untreated, hypertensive patients.

Patients and methods: Longitudinal study including 427 consecutive, never-treated patients with suspected hypertension. After standard clinical assessment, including pulse wave analysis and PWV (Sphygmocor®, AtcorMedical), 231 showed elevated office and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and received mono-therapy treatment accordingly. Clinical assessment was repeated after a median of 1.1 years in the whole cohort. PWV was adjusted to BP.

Results: 103 patients were female (44,6%), mean age was 48±12years. The hypertensive diagnosed group tend to be older (50 vs. 46years, p<0,001) and had higher PWV even after mean BP adjustment (8.6±2.0 vs. 7,9±1.6m/s, p<0.001), higher baseline office, ambulatory and central BP (145/86, 136/86 and 138/89 mmHg vs. 131/78, 123/79 and 124/83 respectively, p<0,001). After 1 year of treatment, BP was significantly improved in the hypertensive group (follow-up office BP 128±13 / 75±9mmHg, p<0.001). The reduction of central and peripheral systolic BP was of the same magnitude (−16±1,2 vs −17±1,1mmHg, p=ns). PWV was significantly reduced even after BP adjustment (Δ=0,3 vs. 0,05m/s, p<0,001) but remained higher than in the non-hypertensive group. There was no differential effect in PWV reduction depending on antihypertensive class.

Conclusions: Blood pressure reduction in newly diagnosed stage 1 hypertensive patients improves arterial stiffness within a year of treatment confirming that rapid tight controlled of BP is important even mild hypertensive.