[Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function in hypertension]

Twenty-five hypertensive patients were examined using Doppler echocardiography to determine the diastolic function of the left ventricle. Twenty-two parameters were analysed and the diastolic indexes were compared with the results of a control group of ten healthy volunteers. Patients with hypertension showed significant left ventricular hypertrophy with increased left ventricular mass and dilated left atrium. Eighty-five percent of the hypertensive patients were found to have impaired diastolic function. The peak velocity of the early, and late diastolic phase and also the duration of acceleration and deceleration are considered to be necessary in the investigation of the diastolic function of left ventricle. All the other parameters can be determined using the above mentioned ones. The late diastolic transmitral flow, the atrial filling velocity, the time of deceleration and acceleration and also the time velocity integral increased significantly. However, the early diastolic filling fraction decreased significantly. The abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function and also the atrial enlargement may be the early signs of hypertensive heart disease and therefore have a great importance in the therapy.