[Diastolic function of the left ventricle in incipient hypertension]

The authors provide evidence that changes of diastolic indicators precede in incipient hypertension the impaired left ventricular function. In marginal hypertonics and in particular in stage 1 hypertonics they found by echocardiography that, as compared with healthy normotonic subjects, sings of impaired relaxation in the early diastole. This is apparent from the significant prolongation of the time constant of relaxation at rest and the maximal speed of relaxation which are due to the early filling of the left ventricle. To increase the sensitivity of the echocardiographic examination of left ventricular functions the isometric loading test proved useful.