Journal article
Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Kenyan Adolescents With α Thalassemia
AO Etyang, C Khayeka-Wandabwa, S Kapesa, E Muthumbi, E Odipo, M Wamukoya, N Ngomi, T Haregu, C Kyobutungi, M Tendwa, J Makale, A Macharia, JK Cruickshank, L Smeeth, JAG Scott, TN Williams
Journal of the American Heart Association | WILEY | Published : 2017
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recent studies have discovered that α-globin is expressed in blood vessel walls where it plays a role in regulating vascular tone. We tested the hypothesis that blood pressure (BP) might differ between normal individuals and those with α+thalassemia, in whom the production of α-globin is reduced.METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was conducted in Nairobi, Kenya, among 938 adolescents aged 11 to 17 years. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory BP monitoring and arterial stiffness measurements were performed using an arteriograph device. We genotyped for α+thalassemia by polymerase chain reaction. Complete data for analysis were available for 623 subjects; 223 (36%) were heterozygous (-α/αα) and ..
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Awarded by Imperial College
Funding Acknowledgements
Etyang, Smeeth, Williams, and Scott are funded by the Wellcome Trust (Fellowship Nos.: 103951/Z/14/Z, 098532, 091758, and 098504). The funders played no role in the preparation of this article.