[MORPHOFUNCTIONAL MYOCARDIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN PATIENTS WITH MASKED ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND WHITE COAT...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hypertension Research
• Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

• Arterial hypertension (AH) diagnosis and management are critical for cardiovascular health.
• Understanding morpho-functional myocardial changes in different hypertension subtypes is essential.
• Workplace health monitoring can identify at-risk populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate myocardial characteristics in masked AH and white coat hypertension (WCH).
• To compare patients receiving antihypertensive therapy (AHT) with those not on AHT.
• To correlate ambulatory blood pressure (AP) with cardiac function and identify risks.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional cohort study of industrial enterprise employees.
• 24-hour ambulatory AP monitoring and echocardiography during the workday.
• Categorization into 6 groups based on clinical and ambulatory AP, including masked AH, WCH, and AHT effectiveness.
• Statistical analysis using ANOVA and Pearson's Chi-square test.

Main Results:

• 72% of employees had AH; ambulatory AP monitoring better predicted target organ damage than clinical AP.
• Masked AH patients showed higher rates of left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.
• Patients with ineffective AHT exhibited greater left ventricular wall thickness and impaired relaxation compared to those with optimal AHT.

Conclusions:

• Ambulatory AP monitoring is superior to clinical readings for assessing cardiovascular risk in AH.
• Masked AH and ineffective AHT are associated with significant adverse myocardial remodeling.
• Workplace interventions targeting hypertension management can improve occupational prognosis.