Aswathy Lloyds1, Sayam Subhash2, Delinda Linu Swornila3, Anusha Merline Justus4
BACKGROUND
The most important medical and public health issue and the single cause of death worldwide is high blood pressure. Hypertension prevalence is on a rapid increase. Nerve conduction velocity test is an essential reliable clinical test for the diagnosis of the diseases of peripheral nerves that includes peripheral neuropathies. Nerve conduction study measures duration, latency, amplitude and conduction velocity. Conduction velocity and latency denote the speed of nerve impulse propagation. They are altered in disease, which cause demyelination. Amplitude denote the number of functioning fibers and it is altered in diseases causing axonal degeneration.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study is to assess the effect of hypertension on motor nerve conduction.
METHODS
The study was conducted in the Department of Physiology. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee. A written informed consent was obtained from each participant. The study was done in 50 hypertensive patients and 50 normotensive subjects between the age group of 40-60 years.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Unpaired ‘t’ test was used to find the statistical significance between both groups. The data was analysed using the Microsoft excel software. Group statistics was done and expressed as mean±SD.
RESULT
The results of motor nerve conduction variables were not statistically significant between control group and hypertensive group. (P >0.05).
CONCLUSION
Hypertension may produce axonal degeneration, but may not be affecting the myelination thus preserving nerve conduction velocity. Thus, hypertension itself may not affect the nerve conduction variables. Extensive studies are required to study the effect of hypertension in nerve conduction taking into consideration the duration, age, BMI and severity.
