Circulating levels of endothelin-1 in a homogenous Gulf Arab population with untreated essential hypertension

BACKGROUND: Racial variations are reported in the natural history of hypertension. For example, hypertension is significantly more prevalent in blacks than whites. Endothelial cells are important regulators of vascular tone and homeostasis, in part through secretions of vasoactive substances including endothelin-1 (ET-1), a small peptide with potent vasopressor actions. In black hypertensives, ET-1 levels are higher than in normotensive blacks and in both hypertensive and normotensive whites. Since ET-1 might play a significant role in the development and severity of hypertension in the indigenous Arab population of the United Arab Emirates, we investigated the circulating levels of ET-1 in this homogenous population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: ET-1 levels were measured in plasma samples from 60 untreated hypertensive Arabs and compared with 60 age- and sex-matched normotensive controls. RESULTS: ET-1 levels were significantly higher in hypertensives (mean 10.1±1 pmol/L) than normotensives (mean 2.2±0.5 pmol/L). Body mass index (BMI) was slightly higher among the hypertensives. For all subjects these levels significantly (P<0.001) correlated with systolic blood pressure and less significantly (P<0.05) with diastolic blood pressure and body weight. The correlation between ET-1 and both systolic and diastolic blood pressure was persistently significant after adjusting for BMI. CONCLUSION: Plasma concentrations of ET-1 are significantly higher in hypertensive Gulf Arabs as compared with reported levels in white hypertensives and ET-1 could be a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in this population. The endothelial system might be particularly important with respect to hypertension in this racial group and merits further study.