The risk of developing chronic heart failure in patients with hypertension depending on the actual arterial stiffness

Objective . To determine the risk of developing chronic heart failure (CHF) in patients with hypertension (HTN) depending on the actual arterial stiffness. Material and Methods . The study included 175 patients with HTN without a verified diagnosis of heart failure. The average age was 48.5 ± 6.8 years. Patients underwent general clinical examination, volume sphygmoplethysmography assessments of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), echocardiography study (left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, LV diastolic function, LV myocardial mass index, indexed LV volume by echocardiography), and tests for serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Patients were divided into two groups depending on CAVI. Group 1 included 141 (80.6%) patients with CAVI 9. Results . In patients of group 1, the level of NT-proBNP was 0.008 [0.006; 5.770], which was significantly lower than the corresponding value in group 2, where the level of NT-proBNP was 13.08 [0.01; 350.65] ng/mL (p = 0.041). Indicators of odds ratio (OR) and relative risk (RR) were also significant. The chance of developing CHF with CAVI > 9 increased by almost 7 times (OR = 6.9; 95% CI = 2.8–16.8), and OR of CHF onset was 4.1 (95% CI = 2.2–7.6). Sensitivity and specificity rates were 55.9% and 84.4%, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed a medium degree of dependence and direct relationships between NT-proBNP level and CAVI values (r = 0.35; p 9 indicative of an increase in true arterial stiffness had a greater risk of developing heart failure assessed based on the level of NT-proBNP in the blood. Further studies are required to assess the effects of arterial stiffness, registered within the intermediate values of CAVI index, on the risk of heart failure onset.