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Echocardiographic measurement of left ventricular hypertrophy in untreated essential hypertension
Insights
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is common in essential hypertension. Echocardiography revealed that 88% of untreated hypertensive patients had LVH, with wall thickness alone indicating it in 80%.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in essential hypertension remains unclear.
- Accurate assessment of LVH is crucial for managing hypertensive heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of LVH in untreated essential hypertension using echocardiography.
- To compare LVH prevalence identified by left ventricular mass (LVM) and wall thickness (WT) measurements.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography was performed on 52 normal subjects, 30 borderline hypertensives, and 33 untreated essential hypertensives.
- Measurements included left ventricular wall thickness (WT), relative wall thickness (t/r), and left ventricular mass (LVM).
- LVM was corrected for body surface area (BSA) and age.
Main Results:
- In normal subjects, WT was independent of age, sex, BSA, BP, or physical activity, while LVM correlated with BSA and age.
- After LVM correction, 88% of untreated essential hypertensives showed LVH.
- Wall thickness measurements alone suggested LVH in approximately 80% of newly diagnosed hypertensives.
Conclusions:
- A high proportion of patients with untreated essential hypertension exhibit LVH.
- Echocardiographic assessment of LVM and WT are valuable tools for identifying LVH in hypertension.
- Findings suggest a greater prevalence of LVH in essential hypertension than previously reported.
Abstract:
The prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in human essential hypertension is uncertain. Echocardiography was used to calculate left ventricular wall thickness (WT), relative wall thickness (t/r) and left ventricular mass (LVM) in 52 normal subjects, 30 patients with borderline hypertension and 33 untreated patients with essential hypertension. In 52 normal subjects WT was independent of age, sex, BSA, BP or habitual physical activity, but LVM was significantly related to BSA and age. After correction of LVM for age and BSA, 88% of 33 patients with untreated essential hypertension had LVM greater than predicted which identified a larger proportion of hypertensives with LVH than previous studies suggest. Wall thickness measurement alone also indicated that about 80% of newly diagnosed hypertensives have LVH.