Relationship between plasma aldosterone and left ventricular structure and function in patients with essential...

Recent experimental studies demonstrated that elevation of plasma aldosterone is associated with an increased collagen accumulation resulting in myocardial fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of circulating aldosterone with cardiac structural and functional changes in patients with essential hypertension. The authors examined 39 patients (aged 51 +/- 14 years, 13 male, 26 female) with essential hypertension. M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography was performed in each subject. Plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone (PA) at baseline and after 4 hours upright posture were measured. Mean levels of baseline and stimulated PRA were similar in hypertensives and control group of normotensives. Baseline and stimulated PA levels were mildly but not significantly higher compared to control group. Using Tukey Kramer multiple analysis we found a significant positive correlation of both baseline and stimulated PA with echocardiographic parameters of left ventricle in hypertensive subjects: IVSd (p<0.001), PWd (p<0.001), LVIDd (p<0.001) and E/A (p<0.001). However, no correlation between PRA and left ventricular structure and function was found in this group of patients. The authors conclude that plasma aldosterone levels are related to the structure and function of left ventricle. (Tab. 3, Ref. 20.).