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Updated: Aug 15, 2025

Echocardiographic Assessment Using Subxiphoid-Only Examination for Hypotensive Patients
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Echocardiographic Assessment Using Subxiphoid-Only Examination for Hypotensive Patients

Published on: April 18, 2025

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Prevalence and Characterisation of Severe Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Diagnosed by Echocardiography in Hypertensive

Anett Apitz1, Thenral Socrates1, Thilo Burkard1,2,3

  • 1Medical Outpatient Department and Hypertension Clinic, ESH Hypertension Centre of Excellence, University Hospital Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|January 8, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Severe left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) affects 7.3% of patients with arterial hypertension (AHT). These patients often have uncontrolled blood pressure despite treatment, highlighting the need for better diagnostic tools.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Hypertension Research
  • Diagnostic Imaging

Background:

  • Arterial hypertension (AHT) is a leading global cause of preventable death.
  • Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a critical prognostic marker in AHT, predicting mortality.
  • Echocardiography is vital for assessing LVH in hypertensive patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of LVH via echocardiography in AHT patients.
  • To characterize patients with severe LVH.
  • To compare severe LVH patients with those having normal or other forms of LVH.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective monocentric study at a tertiary hypertension clinic.
  • Analysis of echocardiographic reports to identify LVH.
  • Comparison of severe LVH patients (septum thickness ≥ 15 mm) with normal geometry and other hypertrophy groups based on clinical and demographic factors.

Main Results:

  • Severe LVH was found in 7.3% of 400 AHT patients; 52.5% had abnormal LV geometry.
  • Severe LVH patients were more likely male, older, with uncontrolled BP (especially nocturnal), multiple comorbidities, and on multi-drug therapy.
  • Severe LVH correlated with higher 24-hour mean, awake, and asleep diastolic BP compared to other hypertrophy groups.

Conclusions:

  • Over half of AHT patients exhibit abnormal LV geometry, with 7.3% showing severe LVH.
  • Severe LVH is associated with more frequent uncontrolled AHT, despite intensive treatment.
  • The Sokolow-Lyon index appears insufficient for detecting LVH in AHT.
Abstract

Keywords:
arterial hypertensionblood pressureechocardiographyelectrocardiographyhypertension-mediated organ damageleft ventricular hypertrophy

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