Osmotic fragility in essential hypertension revisited: A correlation with Iron status and lipid profile

Abstract

Essential hypertension is a major public health associated with increased pressure on the vascular walls and red blood cells (RBCs). In the present work, osmotic fragility (OSF) of RBCs was reexamined in the measure of its correlation with two risk factors; iron status and lipid profile. OSF, iron status parameters, and lipid profile components were measured in eighty-eight patients and compared to the results of thirty controls. The results presented a significant increase in all iron indices of hypertensive patients compared to the normotensive group excluding transferrin concentrations and UIBC decreasing in these patients compared to the healthy group. Serum TGs, total cholesterol, VLDLc, and LDLc increased in patients as compared with control group. There is no significant change in OSF between patients and controls. The iron status parameters and LDLc and TG components were dependent on sex and smoking state. Hemoglobin and PCV were correlated significantly with total cholesterol and LDLc. Transferrin saturation showed a positive correlation with cholesterol, LDLc, and TGs, but negatively correlated with HDLc. No significant correlation between all the measured parameters and OSF in patients with HT. There is a significant correlation between serum ferritin and systolic BP and between Hb and systolic BP. Conclusion. Hypertension as a mechanical challenge for RBCs membrane has no significant effect on the OSF in hypertensive patients. Iron status parameters showed an elevation in HT patients as compared with controls. OSF has no significant correlation with iron status parameters or with lipid profile components in HT patients.