Left ventricular remodeling and diastolic function in chronic hypertensive pregnant women

Hypertension during pregnancy is a problem that impacts maternal morbidity and mortality. Dyspnea and edema are common symptoms, often secondary to physiological changes, but may raise doubts as to ventricular dysfunction.

To evaluate the ventricular geometry pattern and diastolic function in chronic hypertensive pregnant women (HPW).

Prospective, cross-sectional study on 62 pregnant women over a 29-month period, from March 2009 to July 2011, in Brazil was done. Thirty-one HPWs and 31 normotensive pregnant women (NPW) underwent clinical and cardiovascular evaluations, and were subjected to transthoracic echocardiogram.

LV mass (HPW: 220.9 ± 43.3 vs. NPW: 192.9 ± 39.8 g, p = 0.01), posterior wall thickness (HPW: 9.9 ± 1.1 vs. NPW: 9.2 ± 0.9 mm, p = 0.005), mitral flow A wave velocity (HPW: 0.60 ± 0.16 vs. NPW: 0.52 ± 0.10 m/s, p = 0.02), tissue Doppler A' wave velocity (HPW: 10 ± 2 vs. NPW: 8.9 ± 1cm/s, p=0.02), and E/E' ratio (HPW: 6.8 ± 2.2 vs. NPW: 5.5 ± 1.6, p = 0.01) were higher in HPWs. Septal and lateral walls E' wave velocities (HPW: 13 ± 2 vs. NPW: 15 ± 3 cm/s, p=0.001), and E'/A' ratio (HPW: 1.26 ± 0.38 vs. NPW: 1.77 ± 0.49, p = 0.00003) were lower in HPWs. There was a positive linear correlation between body mass index (BMI) and ventricular mass, A wave, systolic, diastolic blood pressures, and a negative correlation between BMI, E' wave and E'/A' ratio.

Ventricular remodeling showed a direct relationship with body weight, and both groups showed a predominant pattern of eccentric ventricular hypertrophy. The LV diastolic function was abnormal in HPWs.