Relationship Of C - Reactive Protein With Essential Hypertension At 1st Presentation And Effect Of Antihypertensive Treatment On Micro Inflammation

Abstract

Objective: To determine the relationship of C - reactive protein with essential hypertension at 1st
presentation and effect of angiotensin-II receptor blockade on micro-inflammation.
Material & Methods: Twenty healthy controls and forty patients of stage 1 and stage 2
essential hypertension diagnosed at their 1st presentation at outpatient department of Services
Hospital Lahore were studied. Blood of all patients was checked for CRP at 1st presentation and
at the end of twelve weeks. Patients were divided in two groups A& B, group Areceived valsartan
80 to 160 mg per day and group B received amlodipine 5 to 20 mg per day. None of the patients
required additional antihypertensive therapy.
Results: The mean change in hsCRP was 0.09 mg/L among those allocated to amlodipine
compared with 0.08 mg/L among those allocated to valsartan. When the means of hsCRP were
compared in three groups, it was found that initial hsCRP levels were high in hypertensive group
and after twelve week treatment with antihypertensive medicines there was significant drop in
hsCRP levels (p<0.05). Within the groups neither amlodipine nor valsartan showed the individual
benefit on each other (p>0.05), both of them were equally effective in reducing hsCRP. No
relationship was observed between hsCRPchange and change of blood pressure.
Conclusion: It is concluded that C-reactive protein is high in hypertensive patients and
adequate control of blood pressure is required to prevent the vasculature from atherosclerotic
damage