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Clinical correlates in hypertensive patients with left ventricular hypertrophy diagnosed with echocardiography
Insights
Left ventricular hypertrophy affects over half of hypertensive patients, independent of hypertension duration or severity. Echocardiography is crucial for diagnosis, as electrocardiography is insensitive, and hypertrophy correlates with other organ damage.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hypertension Research
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Hypertension is a prevalent condition associated with cardiovascular complications.
- Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a known cardiac adaptation to sustained hypertension.
- Accurate assessment of LVH is critical for risk stratification and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients using echocardiography.
- To identify factors influencing the development of LVH.
- To assess the diagnostic utility of electrocardiography for LVH in this population.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-three hypertensive patients underwent M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography.
- Echocardiographic measurements were used to diagnose and characterize left ventricular hypertrophy.
- Clinical data including blood pressure, duration of hypertension, age, and medication use were collected.
Main Results:
- Left ventricular hypertrophy was detected in 51% of patients (37/73), with 29 showing concentric hypertrophy and 8 disproportionate septal thickening.
- Hypertension duration, blood pressure level, age, body surface area, and race did not significantly influence LVH distribution.
- Electrocardiography demonstrated low sensitivity in identifying LVH. Patients with normal left ventricular mass were more likely to be on multiple antihypertensive drugs.
Conclusions:
- Echocardiography is a sensitive tool for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy in hypertensive patients.
- The presence of LVH is associated with a higher incidence of target organ disease.
- Electrocardiography is unreliable for diagnosing LVH in hypertensive individuals.
Abstract:
Seventy-three hypertensive patients were evaluated with M mode and two dimensional echocardiography. Left ventricular hypertrophy was found in 37 patients (51 percent); 29 had concentric hypertrophy and the remaining 8 had disproportionate septal thickening. Factors that did not influence the distribution of patients in the group with left ventricular hypertrophy and normal subjects included (1) duration of hypertension, (2) level of blood pressure, (3) age, (4) body surface area, and (5) race. More of the patients who had a normal left ventricular mass (32 or 89 percent) than of those who had hypertrophy (22 or 59 percent) were receiving two or more antihypertensive drugs. Electrocardiography was very insensitive in identifying left ventricular hypertrophy in these patients. The presence of increased left ventricular mass was associated with a greater incidence of other target organ disease.