[Comparative evaluation of coronary arteriosclerosis in arterial hypertension and ischemic heart disease. Morphometric analysis of 4062 coronary artery specimens]

Abstract

We performed a postmortem study on 61 hearts from patients who died of acute ischemic heart disease (IA). Chronic ischemic heart disease (IB) and from hypertensive patients who died of heart infarction (IIA) and other hypertensive complications (IIB). Control group consisted of 16 pts. who died of non cardiac diseases. 4062 coronary artery specimens were estimated. Irrespective of the clinical course of ischemic heart disease the mean percent of coronary artery stenosis was similar in both ischemic groups and significantly higher than in control group. In hypertensive pts. who died of heart infarction it was also significantly higher and similar to ischemic pts. We found the highest percent of segments with critical stenosis in the left anterior descending coronary artery in group IA, IB, IIA. It was also significantly higher in the left main coronary artery in the group of ischemic pts. (IA, IB).