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Left ventricular mass and cardiovascular morbidity in essential hypertension: the MAVI study

P Verdecchia1, G Carini, A Circo

  • 1ANMCO Research Center, Via La Marmora, 36, Firenze, Italy. verdec@tin.it

Journal of the American College of Cardiology
|December 12, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Elevated left ventricular (LV) mass in individuals with essential hypertension independently predicts increased cardiovascular events. This large multicenter study confirms LV mass as a crucial prognostic marker for cardiovascular risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • Limited evidence exists on the prognostic significance of left ventricular (LV) mass in uncomplicated essential hypertension.
  • Existing studies are primarily single-center and lack extensive validation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prognostic value of left ventricular (LV) mass measured by echocardiography in subjects with uncomplicated essential hypertension.
  • To establish LV mass as a predictor of cardiovascular events in a large, multicenter cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, multicenter study (MAssa Ventricolare sinistra nell'Ipertensione) involving 45 centers.
  • Inclusion criteria: essential hypertension, no prior cardiovascular events, age >= 50.
  • Centralized reading of echocardiographic data and tailored treatment protocols.

Main Results:

  • 1,033 subjects were followed for a median of 3 years.
  • Cardiovascular event rates were significantly higher in subjects with LV mass > or = 125 g/m(2) (3.2 per 100 patient-years) compared to normal LV mass (1.3 per 100 patient-years).
  • LV hypertrophy independently associated with a 2.08-fold increased risk of events (95% CI: 1.22-3.57) after adjusting for risk factors. Each 1 SD increase in LV mass correlated with a 40% rise in cardiovascular event risk.

Conclusions:

  • A strong, continuous, and independent relationship exists between LV mass and subsequent cardiovascular morbidity in uncomplicated essential hypertension.
  • This study provides the first large-scale, nationwide, multicenter evidence supporting LV mass as a significant prognostic indicator in this population.
Abstract

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