Antihypertensive treatment is associated with improved left ventricular geometry: the Rotterdam Study

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the association between antihypertensive therapy and echocardiographically determined LVH.

The Rotterdam Study is a population-based prospective cohort study among 7983 participants aged 55 years or over. Echocardiography was performed in 2823 participants. The study population consisted of 740 participants with grade 1 hypertension or antihypertensive monotherapy, without heart failure. Of these, 646 had an adequate echocardiogram for analysis of relative wall thickness (RWT) and 642 for left ventricular mass index. Participants were followed from 1 January 1991 until the date of echocardiography, between September 1992 and June 1993. Outcome measures were defined as being in the highest gender-specific quintile of left ventricular mass index and as having a RWT higher than 0.43. A Cox regression model with duration of use of antihypertensives defined as time-dependent covariates was used for data-analysis. Antihypertensive treatment lowered the risk of increased left ventricular mass index (RR 0.6, 95%CI 0.4-0.9). ACE-inhibitors, diuretics and beta-blockers all showed a risk reduction. Use of antihypertensives was also associated, although non-significantly, with a decrease of high RWT (RR 0.8, 95%CI 0.6-1.0). ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers and calcium antagonists showed similar risk reductions, while diuretics seemed to increase the risk, possibly by reducing left ventricular end diastolic diameter.

The use of antihypertensive drugs is associated with a decreased risk of echocardiographically determined LVH in a population-based setting.