Objectives To investigate the plasma CST levels in essential hypertension patients and in normal group, and explore the possible pathophysiological and clinical role of CST,and to analyse of the characteristics of baPWV in patients with hypertension.

Methods We enrolled patients with grade 1, grade 2, grade 3 hypertension randomly,and they were divided into groups, 48 cases of patients with grade 3 hypertension,34 cases of patients with grade 1,2 hypertension, 40 cases of normal blood pressure (healthy control group). CST level, NE level and baPWV were compared between 3 groups.

Results The level of CST and CST/NE in patients with severe hypertension was significantly higher than patients with mild and moderate hypertension, (P < 0.05), and The level of CST and CST/NE in healthy people was higher than patients with hypertension. Correlation analysis showed that: CST positive correlates with SBP, PP and BaPWV, age and BMI.2 BaPWV after treatment decreased significantly compared with before treatment in severe hypertension, (1921 ± 346 cm/s to 1616 ± 302 cm/s) (P < 0.05). CST after treatment decreased (1.29 ± 0.66 ng/ml) compared with before treatment and of1.17 ± 0.49 ng/ml ng/ml, p > 0.05)

Conclusions Arterial elasticity and CST level decreased in patients with essential hypertension, CST level in severe hypertensive patients is higher than in mild and moderate hypertension patients, CST level in severe hypertensive patients decreased (not significantly) when the blood pressure decreased. Which prompted that CST is a kind of compensation on blood pressure. BaPWV of patients with hypertension was positively correlated with CST, suggesting that CST has compensatory protective effect of early target organ damage.