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[Analysis of left ventricular heart function from two-dimensional M-mode echocardiography in arterial hypertension]
1Arztlicher Dienst, Bezirkspolizeibehörde Chemnitz.
Insights
Hypertension can lead to early left ventricular dysfunction, indicated by prolonged ejection time and reduced fiber shortening speed. Echocardiography can detect these subtle changes in contractility.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Hypertension Research
Background:
- Arterial hypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
- Early detection of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is crucial for managing hypertensive heart disease.
- M-mode echocardiography is a common tool for assessing cardiac structure and function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate left-ventricular functional disturbances in male hypertensives using M-mode echocardiography.
- To compare echocardiographic parameters between hypertensive and normotensive individuals.
- To identify early signs of reduced left ventricular contractility in mild arterial hypertension.
Main Methods:
- Two-dimensionally regulated M-mode echocardiography was performed on 179 male hypertensives and 55 male normotensives.
- Key parameters assessed included left-ventricular ejection time, circumferential fiber shortening speed, stroke volume, ejection fraction, and left-ventricular wall thickness.
- Statistical analysis was used to compare values between the hypertensive and normotensive groups.
Main Results:
- Hypertensives exhibited a significantly higher mean left-ventricular ejection time.
- A significantly higher percentage of hypertensives (11.2%) showed a reduced frequency-normed average circumferential fiber shortening speed (<0.82 circ/s), indicating early reduction in left ventricular contractility.
- No significant differences were found in stroke volume, ejection fraction, or left-ventricular wall thickness between the groups.
Conclusions:
- M-mode echocardiography can detect early left ventricular functional disturbances in hypertensive individuals, specifically prolonged ejection time and reduced contractility.
- While stroke volume and ejection fraction may not show significant changes in early stages, alterations in ejection time and fiber shortening speed are valuable indicators.
- M-mode echocardiography may be overextended in calculating certain parameters like stroke volume and ejection fraction, suggesting limitations in assessing these specific metrics.
Abstract:
179 male hypertensives with above all mild arterial hypertension were in comparison to 55 male normotensives investigated by means of a two-dimensionally regulated M-mode echocardiogram for the recognition of left-ventricular functional disturbances. Thereby the hypertensives showed a significantly higher mean value for the left-ventricular ejection time as well as a significantly more frequent number (11.2%) of cases with a frequency-normed average circumferent shortening speed of the fibres below 0.82 circ/s and thus a beginning reduction of the contractility of the left ventricle. Stroke volume, ejection fraction and increase of the thickness of the left-ventricular walls of the heart did not show any significant differences between hypertensives and normotensives. With the calculation of these parameters the M-mode echocardiogram is apparently overcharged.