Diastolic dysfunction in persons with hypertensive heart failure

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Public Health

Background:

• Arterial hypertension is a leading cause of heart failure in Nigeria's Savannah region.
• The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in this patient group remains uncharacterized.
• Understanding diastolic dysfunction is vital for optimizing heart failure therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in Nigerian patients with hypertensive heart failure.
• To assess left ventricular function using echocardiography.
• To inform therapeutic strategies based on diastolic function assessment.

Main Methods:

• Echocardiography was performed on 95 hypertensive heart failure patients and 92 healthy controls.
• Utilized ALOKA SSD 1700 two-dimensional echocardiograph with Doppler and color flow.
• Assessed left ventricular mass index (LVMI), cardiothoracic ratio (CTR), and electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (ECG-LVH).

Main Results:

• Hypertensive patients showed significantly increased LVMI, CTR, and ECG-LVH compared to controls (p < 0.0001).
• Diastolic dysfunction was present in 69.4% of patients, including isolated, combined, pseudonormal, and restrictive patterns.
• Specific findings included 12.6% isolated diastolic dysfunction, 24.2% combined, 6.3% pseudonormalization, and 26.3% restrictive patterns.

Conclusions:

• A high prevalence (69.4%) of diastolic dysfunction exists in Nigerians with hypertensive heart failure.
• Doppler echocardiography is essential for accurate diagnosis and management.
• This evaluation aids physicians in selecting appropriate treatments for hypertensive heart failure.