Deepa Gunasekaran, Viji Devanand, Sasirekha G, Celine D, Umayal CC, Niveditha Pari
Department of Physiology, Stanley Medical College, The Tamil Nadu Dr.MGR Medical University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

• Background: Hypertension is a global health issue and is a multifactorial disorder caused by various environmental, physiological and genetic factors. Inflammation plays a major role in the development of hypertension. Research has shown that Red cell distribution width (RDW) has significant association with cardiovascular and thrombotic disorders, and cardiac mortality in patients with coronary artery disease, acute and chronic heart failure, and stroke.
• Aim: To determine ROW in hypertensive individuals and to compare this with that of normal individuals.
• Materials and Methods: Thirty hypertensive individuals of both genders in the age group of 30-45 years were chosen from Department of General Medicine, Stanley Medical College and Hospital, Chennai. Thirty age-and gender-matched healthy controls were selected. Under strict aseptic conditions, venous blood sample was collected for measuring ROW.
• Results: The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS software version 20. From this study we found that ROW was significantly higher (p =0.000) in hypertensive individuals (15.25±2.06) compared to controls (13.08 ±0.6).
• Conclusion: ROW was significantly higher in hypertensive individuals, possibly due the presence of ongoing inflammation in hypertension. Hence RDW may be included in the routine investigations for follow up of hypertensive individuals, to identify those at risk of developing cardiovascular complications so that early intervention will be possible.

Keywords: inflammation, hypertension, red cell distribution width