Assessment of Oxidative Stress Markers Related to Atherosclerosis in Pre-Hypertensive Women

Lipid peroxidation is a free radical-generating process which occurs on every membranous structure of the cell. Free radicals are known to be involved in a number of human pathologies including atherosclerosis. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between pre-hypertension status and oxidative stress markers [total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malonedialdehyde (MDA) levels] in a random sample of cardiovascular disease-free women. In this study, 160 women of 20-45 years of age were randomly selected. General information data were gathered from each sample using questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. Blood pressure (BP) was measured for each subject. Body weight, height, and waist and hip circumferences were measured and body mass index (BMI)and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were calculated for each subject. Venous blood samples were drawn from the subjects, and plasma was separated. In this study, the oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring the concentrations of plasma MDA and TAC levels Our results show that both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were inversely correlated with TAC (p<0.01) and positively correlated with MDA levels (p<0.01). Particularly, compared to the normotensive subjects, the pre-hypertensives had 19% lower TAC (p<0.05) and 22% higher MDA levels (p<0.01), after correcting for multiple comparisons and adjusting for age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and other potential confounders. Our findings revealed an association between pre-hypertension and oxidative stress markers linked to atherosclerosis process. Thus, the identification of the underlying molecular mechanisms in pre-hypertension, which seem to include oxidative stress, may serve as an important lead for developing potentially new treatment modalities in this group of patients at risk for future cardiovascular complications.