Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients

BackgroundMicrocirculation dysfunction commonly occurs in patients with hypertension and diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the changes in sublingual microcirculation among patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), subclinical primary aldosteronism (sPA), essential hypertension (EH), and healthy individ...

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Main Authors: Wuhao Wang, Wei Liu, Yi Tang, Fang Sun, Hongbo He, Zhencheng Yan, Qiang Li, Zhiming Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Endocrinology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1561503/full
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author Wuhao Wang
Wei Liu
Yi Tang
Fang Sun
Hongbo He
Zhencheng Yan
Qiang Li
Zhiming Zhu
Zhiming Zhu
author_facet Wuhao Wang
Wei Liu
Yi Tang
Fang Sun
Hongbo He
Zhencheng Yan
Qiang Li
Zhiming Zhu
Zhiming Zhu
author_sort Wuhao Wang
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundMicrocirculation dysfunction commonly occurs in patients with hypertension and diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the changes in sublingual microcirculation among patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), subclinical primary aldosteronism (sPA), essential hypertension (EH), and healthy individuals and aimed to use sublingual microcirculation to screen for PA.MethodsFrom January 2023 to January 2024, we consecutively enrolled 191 hypertensive patients (89 EH patients, 51 sPA patients, and 51 PA patients) and 44 healthy individuals. Sublingual microcirculatory images were captured via side-stream dark-field (SDF) microcirculation microscopy, and total and perfused vessel density (TVD and PVD) were calculated. Patient demographic and laboratory data as well as factors influencing microcirculation parameters were assessed.ResultsCompared with healthy individuals (TVD: 13.97 ± 0.62 mm/mm2; PVD: 11.46 ± 0.53 mm/mm2), EH (12.24 ± 0.56; 9.92 ± 0.34), sPA (11.49 ± 0.51; 9.46 ± 0.33) and PA (10.91 ± 0.68; 8.85 ± 0.43) patients exhibited significant microcirculation dysfunction (TVD and PVD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that both TVD and the PVD could effectively mirror microcirculation abnormalities in PA patients. We derived a combined evaluation index (CEI) that was composed of the TVD and the PVD for screening PA. By plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the CEI (AUC: 0.9818 [0.9660, 0.9977]) demonstrated a superior screening effect for PA compared with the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR, AUC: 0.9505 [0.9194, 0.9817]).ConclusionsPatients with PA had marked microcirculatory dysfunction, which was strongly associated with the ARR. Sublingual microcirculation might be a noninvasive method for the early detection of primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients.
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spelling doaj-art-0ab53d1c8d6e48da82f76611d04d10bd2025-08-20T03:50:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Endocrinology1664-23922025-07-011610.3389/fendo.2025.15615031561503Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patientsWuhao Wang0Wei Liu1Yi Tang2Fang Sun3Hongbo He4Zhencheng Yan5Qiang Li6Zhiming Zhu7Zhiming Zhu8Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaDepartment of Hypertension and Endocrinology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University of PLA, Center for Hypertension and Metabolic Diseases, Chongqing Institute of Hypertension, Chongqing, ChinaChongqing Institute for Brain and Intelligence, Chongqing, ChinaBackgroundMicrocirculation dysfunction commonly occurs in patients with hypertension and diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the changes in sublingual microcirculation among patients with primary aldosteronism (PA), subclinical primary aldosteronism (sPA), essential hypertension (EH), and healthy individuals and aimed to use sublingual microcirculation to screen for PA.MethodsFrom January 2023 to January 2024, we consecutively enrolled 191 hypertensive patients (89 EH patients, 51 sPA patients, and 51 PA patients) and 44 healthy individuals. Sublingual microcirculatory images were captured via side-stream dark-field (SDF) microcirculation microscopy, and total and perfused vessel density (TVD and PVD) were calculated. Patient demographic and laboratory data as well as factors influencing microcirculation parameters were assessed.ResultsCompared with healthy individuals (TVD: 13.97 ± 0.62 mm/mm2; PVD: 11.46 ± 0.53 mm/mm2), EH (12.24 ± 0.56; 9.92 ± 0.34), sPA (11.49 ± 0.51; 9.46 ± 0.33) and PA (10.91 ± 0.68; 8.85 ± 0.43) patients exhibited significant microcirculation dysfunction (TVD and PVD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that both TVD and the PVD could effectively mirror microcirculation abnormalities in PA patients. We derived a combined evaluation index (CEI) that was composed of the TVD and the PVD for screening PA. By plotting the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the CEI (AUC: 0.9818 [0.9660, 0.9977]) demonstrated a superior screening effect for PA compared with the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR, AUC: 0.9505 [0.9194, 0.9817]).ConclusionsPatients with PA had marked microcirculatory dysfunction, which was strongly associated with the ARR. Sublingual microcirculation might be a noninvasive method for the early detection of primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1561503/fullprimary aldosteronismsublingual microcirculationside-stream dark-field imagingaldosteronemachine learning
spellingShingle Wuhao Wang
Wei Liu
Yi Tang
Fang Sun
Hongbo He
Zhencheng Yan
Qiang Li
Zhiming Zhu
Zhiming Zhu
Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
Frontiers in Endocrinology
primary aldosteronism
sublingual microcirculation
side-stream dark-field imaging
aldosterone
machine learning
title Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
title_full Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
title_fullStr Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
title_full_unstemmed Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
title_short Clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
title_sort clinical value of sublingual microcirculatory dysfunction for screening for primary aldosteronism in hypertensive patients
topic primary aldosteronism
sublingual microcirculation
side-stream dark-field imaging
aldosterone
machine learning
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1561503/full
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