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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Structure and Function using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Prospective study of the changes in left ventricular mass and geometry patterns in hypertensive patients During 5
Alexandra O Conrady1, Oleg G Rudomanov, Dmitriy V Zaharov
1Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Pavlov State Medical University, St Petersburg, Russia. podiatr@inbox.ru
Insights
Effective blood pressure control is crucial for reversing left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in hypertensive patients. Consistent treatment can lead to significant improvements, while inadequate control may worsen cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Cardiac Imaging
Background:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and left ventricular geometry are independent risk factors for hypertension.
- Understanding these factors is critical for managing hypertensive patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in left ventricular mass, diastolic function, and geometry in hypertensive patients over 5 years.
- To evaluate the impact of regular and effective hypertension treatment on these cardiac parameters.
Main Methods:
- Prospective 5-year follow-up study of 100 hypertensive patients.
- Echocardiography, vital signs, weight, and height measurements were recorded.
- Patients were grouped based on blood pressure control: no medication, regular treatment without target BP, and regular effective treatment.
Main Results:
- Group 1 (no medication) showed increased LVH and worsened diastolic function.
- Group 2 (regular treatment, no target BP) had unchanged LVH and isovolumetric relaxation time, but decreased early peak velocity/atrial peak velocity ratio.
- Group 3 (regular effective treatment) demonstrated a significant decrease in LVH. Left ventricular geometry changed in only 23% of patients.
Conclusions:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is reversible with adequate blood pressure control in hypertensive individuals.
- Left ventricular remodeling patterns are generally stable, with infrequent transformations between patterns.
Background:
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), as well as the geometry pattern of the left ventricle, is believed to be an independent risk factor for hypertension. The present study investigated the changes in left ventricular mass, diastolic function and geometry in hypertensive patients in a prospective 5-year follow-up in conjunction with an evaluation of the regularity and effectiveness of treatment.
Methods And Results:
One hundred hypertensive patients older than 18 years were examined according to the study protocol, which included registration of weight, height, vital signs, and echocardiography. After 5 years a repeat examination was performed. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to blood pressure (BP) control: group 1 (n=32), no regular medication; group 2 (n=44), regular treatment but no target BP levels; group 3 (n=14), regular effective treatment. In group 1 an increase in LVH and worsening of diastolic function were observed; in group 2 LVH and isovolumetric relaxation time remained unchanged, while the early peak velocity/atrial peak velocity ratio decreased; in group 3 there was a significant decrease in LVH. The geometry pattern only changed in 21 (23%) patients.
Conclusions:
LVH can be successfully reversed in only hypertensive with adequate BP control. The remodeling pattern appears to be a stable characteristic of the patient and transformation of one pattern into another is infrequent.
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