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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Echocardiographic Assessment Using Subxiphoid-Only Examination for Hypotensive Patients
Published on: April 18, 2025
[Prevalence, characteristics and clinical correlates of left ventricular hypertrophy in stable hypertension.
Insights
Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) affects nearly 73% of stable hypertensives, with concentric and eccentric patterns observed. Age, not BMI or hypertension severity, correlates with LVH patterns.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Context:
- Hypertension is a prevalent condition associated with cardiovascular complications.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common adaptation to chronic hypertension.
- Understanding the prevalence and patterns of LVH is crucial for risk stratification.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the prevalence and patterns of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in stable hypertensive patients.
- To identify clinical correlates of different LVH patterns using echocardiography.
- To investigate the relationship between demographic and clinical factors and LVH morphology.
Summary:
- Echocardiography revealed LVH in 73% of 251 stable hypertensive patients.
- Concentric LVH (39.4%) and eccentric LVH (43.1%) were the predominant patterns.
- Older age was associated with concentric LVH, while BMI, hypertension duration, and severity showed poor correlation with LVH patterns.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that age is a significant factor in LVH development, challenging previous hypotheses on pattern progression.
- The study highlights the need for further research into distinct hemodynamic profiles associated with concentric versus eccentric LVH.
- Results contribute to a better understanding of hypertensive heart disease and potential therapeutic targets.
Abstract:
251 in stable hypertensives were studied with M-Mode and two-dimensional echocardiography, in order to evaluate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), its patterns and clinical correlates. 54 subjects (21%) had been treated previously with antihypertensive drugs while the remaining 197 (79%) had not. A normal left ventricle was found in 69 subjects (27.1%; group A); a concentric LVH (h/r greater than or equal to 0.45) was found in 99 (39.4%; group B), while an eccentric LVH (left ventricular myocardial mass index greater than 140 g/m2, h/r less than 0.45) in 83 (43.1%; group C). An asymmetric LVH (septum to posterior wall thickness ratio greater than or equal to 1.3) was found in 33 subjects (3 did not fulfill the criteria for LVH, 21 had a concentric, and 10 an eccentric LVH). Mean age was significantly higher in group B as compared to groups A and C. The body mass index was comparable in all groups. Mean systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in groups B and C as compared to A. The duration and the severity of hypertension did not differ among the three groups. W.H.O. stage III was absent in group A, but no differences were found between group B and C as for W.H.O. stage distribution. We conclude that such factors as BMI, duration and severity of hypertension poorly correlate with the occurrence of LVH and its patterns. The fact that group B hypertensives were older than the others on average is against the hypothesis that eccentric hypertrophy follows the concentric pattern. Whether these two patterns represent separate entities in relation to different hemodynamic profiles deserves further investigation.
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