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Left ventricular mass and incident hypertension in individuals with initial optimal blood pressure: the Strong Heart

Giovanni de Simone1, Richard B Devereux, Marcello Chinali

  • 1Weill-Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA. simogi@unina.it

Journal of Hypertension
|August 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Left ventricular mass predicts future high blood pressure in individuals with optimal blood pressure. This finding is independent of metabolic factors, offering new insights into hypertension risk prediction.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Echocardiography

Background:

  • Metabolic abnormalities and left ventricular mass are known predictors of arterial hypertension.
  • Previous studies focused on individuals with elevated baseline blood pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if left ventricular mass predicts incident hypertension in individuals with optimal blood pressure (<120/80 mmHg).
  • To assess if this prediction is independent of metabolic factors.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 777 American Indian participants from the Strong Heart Study with optimal baseline blood pressure.
  • Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular mass and follow-up for 4 years.

Main Results:

  • 159 participants (20%) developed hypertension over 4 years.
  • Higher baseline left ventricular mass was significantly associated with incident hypertension (P < 0.004).
  • Each standard deviation increase in left ventricular mass index raised hypertension risk by 36% (P = 0.006).

Conclusions:

  • Left ventricular mass is a significant predictor of incident arterial hypertension in individuals with initially optimal blood pressure.
  • This association remains significant even after accounting for body mass index, diabetes, and initial blood pressure.
Abstract

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