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Gender differences in systolic left ventricular function in hypertensive patients with electrocardiographic left

E Gerdts1, M Zabalgoitia, H Björnstad

  • 1Department of Heart Disease, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Eva.Gerdts@haukeland.no

The American Journal of Cardiology
|April 18, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Female hypertension patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy show better systolic function. This study found women had higher LV ejection fraction and fractional shortening, independent of other factors.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, often leading to left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy.
  • Gender differences in cardiovascular function and disease progression are increasingly recognized.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for tailored treatment strategies in hypertensive patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate gender-associated differences in systolic LV function among untreated hypertensive patients with electrocardiographic LV hypertrophy.
  • To identify whether female gender is an independent predictor of systolic LV function in this population.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography was performed on 944 untreated hypertensive patients (391 women, 553 men) from the LIFE study with baseline electrocardiographic LV hypertrophy.
  • Systolic LV function parameters including LV ejection fraction (EF), endocardial and midwall fractional shortening, and stress-corrected midwall fractional shortening were assessed.
  • Multiple regression analyses were used to determine independent predictors of systolic LV function, controlling for factors like age, body mass index, and LV stress.

Main Results:

  • Women had significantly lower diastolic blood pressure and body surface area, but higher body mass index compared to men.
  • Women exhibited higher LV ejection fraction (63% vs 60%), endocardial (35% vs 33%) and midwall (16% vs 15%) fractional shortening, and stress-corrected midwall fractional shortening (98% vs 96%).
  • Multiple regression confirmed that female gender was an independent predictor of higher systolic LV function, including EF, endocardial, midwall, and stress-corrected midwall fractional shortening.

Conclusions:

  • Female gender is an independent predictor of enhanced systolic LV function in hypertensive patients with electrocardiographic LV hypertrophy.
  • These findings highlight significant gender-based differences in cardiac mechanics within this patient group.
  • Further research may explore the clinical implications of these functional differences for cardiovascular outcomes.

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