Hemostasis Parameters Disturbances in Healthy Individuals with Prehypertension

Prehypertension (PH) seems to be related to increased cardiovascular risk in healthy normotensive subjects, while essential hypertension is associated with hemostasis balance disturbances. The aim of our study was to examine the impact of PH on hemostasis parameters in healthy individuals with PH and to compare the findings with those of healthy normotensives with normal blood pressure (NBP) levels. This study was performed in 204 (96 M, 108 F) subjects who attended our hypertension clinic. Seventy-eight (36 M, 42 F) subjects with PH, mean age 52 ± 5 years, and body mass index (BMI) 23 ± 1.5 kg/m 2 made up group A, and 126 (60 M, 66 F) subjects with NBP, mean age 53 ± 6 years, and BMI 23.2 ± 1.4 kg/m 2 without any history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus made up group B. Systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were measured in three sequential visits, which were performed by the same trained nurse. Serum lipid levels, fibrinogen (F), thrombomodulin (TM), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, and tissue plasminogen activator antigen were determined in the whole population. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen and tissue plasminogen activator antigen levels were significantly higher in the PH group as compared with normotensives, while in PH subjects, significantly higher plasma levels of F and TM were found compared with normotensive group. The two groups were matched for age, sex, BMI, and serum lipid levels. Our findings indicate that PH is associated with hemostasis disturbances predisposing to hypercoagulability and impaired fibrinolysis. This observation may be of prognostic value for future cardiovascular events in this group and needs further investigation.