Effects of subclinical target organ damage evaluation on total cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with hypertension

AIM:To assess the effect of evaluation of different forms of subclinical organ damage (SOD), in addition to the level of blood pressure, on total cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with hypertension. METHODS: Totally, 258 hypertensive patients underwent laboratory examinations, and their left ventricular and cartid artery structure were measured. The patients were divided into risk categories according to Hypertension Prevention Guide 2005 China before and after SOD evaluation. RESULTS: By the level of blood pressure, the patients were classified as: 23.2% with low cardiovascular risk, 44.6% with moderate cardiovascular risk, and 32.2% with high cardiovascular risk. The proportion of patients with low or moderate cardiovascular risk were reclassified by SOD evaluation: the proportion of patients with high risk was 84.9%（χ2 P<0.01）. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of different forms of SOD may significantly change the total cardiovascular risk stratification in patients with hypertension.