Baroreflex sensitivity correlates with left ventricular morphology and diastolic function in essential hypertension

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Hypertension Research
• Cardiac Imaging

Background:

• Arterial hypertension commonly leads to cardiac damage, affecting heart structure and function.
• Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is crucial for blood pressure regulation and is often diminished in hypertensive individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and left ventricular (LV) morphology and function in patients with arterial hypertension.

Main Methods:

• Echocardiography was used to assess LV morphology, systolic, and diastolic function in 224 hypertensive patients and 51 normotensive controls.
• Spontaneous BRS was quantified using the sequence method.

Main Results:

• BRS was inversely correlated with LV relative wall thickness and LV mass index.
• Hypertensive patients with concentric LV remodeling or hypertrophy exhibited significantly impaired BRS compared to those with normal LV structure.
• BRS demonstrated significant associations with various systolic function parameters, including midwall fractional shortening and stroke volume.
• Patients with diastolic dysfunction had markedly reduced BRS compared to both controls and hypertensive individuals with normal diastolic function.

Conclusions:

• Spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity is associated with left ventricular morphology, as well as systolic and diastolic function in hypertensive patients.
• Impaired BRS is particularly evident in hypertensive individuals with diastolic dysfunction.
• These findings highlight the potential of BRS as a therapeutic target for managing arterial hypertension and its cardiac consequences.