Blood pressure and heart rate variability, left ventricular hypertrophy, vascular resistance in patients with essential hypertension.

The aim of the study was to assess the possible relationship between blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) variability (noninvasive 24-hour monitoring), left ventricular mass (Echocardiography) and peripheral vascular resistance (reactive hyperemia 5 min after occlusion of arm vessels, plethysmography) in 16 men with essential hypertension. Mean BP during day was 123.8±2.9 mm Hg, and at night 113.2±3.9 mm Hg. We have observed a close positive correlation (R=0.88, P<0.001) between left ventricular mass and 24-hour mean blood pressure variability, and negative with HR variability (R=0.86, P<0.01). There was a positive correlation (R=0.78, P<0.01) between magnitudes of forearm vascular resistance during reactive hyperemia and 24-hour BP variability. In conculsion, our data demonstrate the close and complex relationships between BP and HR variability, left ventricular hypertrophy and vascular resistance.